NBCUniversal is providing 7,000 hours of Olympics coverage from Paris across numerous cable, broadcast and streaming channels.  

How is a viewer supposed to decide what to watch, assuming it’s likely a small fraction of the total?   

Answer: Interpublic Group agency Huge and NBCUniversal partnered to develop Oli, an AI-powered chat that helps viewers find when, where and how to watch live events and programming throughout the games.   

Users navigating NBCU’s websites in the US (NBCOlympics.com, NBCSports.com, NBC.com and others) can ask Oli questions to find updated info on Paris Olympics programming. 

Utilizing natural language chat, Oli quickly directs viewers to when and where they can watch live Olympic events across NBCU’s broadcast and cable channels and streaming service Peacock, as well as how to find coverage of specific athletes, teams, and countries. 

According to the network, for example, if a viewer types in the chat a query about when basketball is on, Oli might respond, “You’re in luck! The U.S. men’s basketball team plays South Sudan today at 3 p.m. ET live on NBC and Peacock.”   

When I tried it Oli didn’t respond with the “you’re in luck!” quip—which I was totally okay with-- but I did get times and dates and channels for the events I was looking for.  

Additionally, OLI can personalize best viewing options for users depending on the time of day, time zone, and event schedule.