• by Colin Kirkland , July 29, 2024

Furthering its investment in sports coverage, Snapchat is introducing new in-app elements to harness the excitement around the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Fans can expect new augmented reality (AR) experiences and behind-the-scenes footage as Snap works with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), NBCUniversal and WBD, Coca-Cola and more brands.

For the first time, Snapchat is inviting fans to follow the Olympics through AR. The IOC and a number of commercial partners have launched a series of immersive AR experiences on the social media app in attempts to attract younger viewers interested in following the Games.

"A range of experiences powered by Snap’s AR Camera Kit technology is available through the official app of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as well as on Snapchat,” the company explains in a recent blog post, adding that the IOC has launched a series of AR Lenses “featuring Olympic data feeds, IOC archival imagery, and more.”

In celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the last time the Olympics took place in Paris, fans in the French capital will be able to open Snapchat and see their surroundings transform to 1924 Paris, while people watching from around the globe can use the same Lens to check out the 1924 Yves-du-Manoir stadium.

Snap's AR studio Arcadia has partnered with NBCUniversal to bring additional AR experiences to Snapchat's 422 million daily active users, such as an immersive front-row depiction of the opening ceremony that includes personalized tune-in recommendations filled with real-time states and Bitmoji versions of Team USA athletes.

In addition, Coca-Cola has partnered with Snap to bring Olympics attendees “the world's first AR vending machine,” which can be found in the athletes’ village and Coca-Cola's international Food Fest. The machine is powered by a custom Snapchat AR mirror and provides photo ops, games, and prizes, as well as bottles of Coke, Snap says.

NBCUniversal is also providing Olympics fans with official highlights, enabling a range of content creators for the first time to provide a Gen-Z-forward perspective of the Games and Team USA, including LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, reality star Harry Jowsey, professional streamer Kai Cenat, musical artist Enisa and professional gamer Duke Dennis.

Per NBCUniversal's “Paris Creator Collective,” these selected creators will cover events as well as Team USA basketball, gymnastics, track and field, swimming, equestrian events and more.

Snap says its partnership with the broadcaster ensures that daily wrap-up shows and behind-the-scenes content will be available on the app throughout the entirety of the Games.

Snapchat is not the only social-media platform that NBCUniversal has partnered with for 2024 Olympics coverage.

In an effort to better connect with younger viewers, the network has struck deals with TikTok and YouTube, and is involved in a $7.6 billion deal for the American rights to broadcast the Olympics through 2032.

Both NBC and the IOC are changing their strategies around Games exposure, prioritizing social media and the creator economy.

IOC President Thomas Bach recently said the IOC is estimating that there will be over 500 million posts from this summer’s Games, adding that the time it would take to stop and look at each post for just one second would add up to 16 years.

Snapchat is also developing a new strategy to gain engagement on its platform.

According to the company, 180 million Snapchatters watch sports coverage every month on average, and 67% of users report that Snap filters and Lenses offer a unique sports content experience, while 55% say the platform is their favorite for staying connected with sports-related content.