• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, July 25, 2024

The 2024 Olympics kick off Friday in Paris as more than 10,000 athletes competing in 320 events across 19 days sail the Seine. Organizers have spent years orchestrating the extravaganza in France to partially commemorate the last time they were held in Paris, about a century ago.

While more than one billion people worldwide are expected to tune in, Google will make it easier for viewers to see every moment.

When someone searches for a specific country, sport, athlete or Games in general, they will see up-to-the-minute schedules, results, medal counts, top video highlights and daily recaps, as well as the latest top stories and social media perspectives.

Schedules will appear in the local time zone, as well as performance updates and trending events. Record-breaking wins and medal victories will have a special surprised attached.

At the interactive experience called the Most Searched Playground, viewers can test their knowledge of athletes, iconic sports, and the vibrant cultures of Paris and the Olympics.

Earlier this month, Google announced a commitment to sponsor and bring its innovative technology to Team USA and NBCUniversal. Many of the same features and stories will become available in Google Search, Maps, and YouTube.

Google Maps and Waze will provide updated routing for temporary restricted driving zones and road closures. A sharable Waze traffic feature will notify drivers of upcoming and active road disruptions in Paris. Public transit features will preview how to get to destinations by bus, train or subway.

YouTube will collaborate with official broadcasters for Paris 2024, including NBCUniversal, Eurosport, Claro, CazéTV and the IOC. Thousands of hours of Olympic content and highlights will become available.

Official broadcasters in select markets will livestream events and Opening and Closing Ceremonies on their YouTube channels.

Google TV also will make it easier to experience the Olympic games through live streams, official highlights, and behind the scenes stories and interviews.