Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) has provided an update on its adoption of the cloud as it continues on its journey to fully migrate to IT-based systems by 2030.
Since Beijing 2022 and Paris 2024, OBS has been ramping up its transition from legacy broadcast systems to IT-based workflows, and at Milano Cortina 2026 the host broadcaster said that the vision had become reality, with one-third of its venue infrastructure running on virtualised platforms.
This, OBS said, had turned traditional Technical Operations Centres (TOCs) into edge cloud nodes – with the evolution underpinning OBS’ roadmap to fully migrate to IT-based systems by 2030.
It also paves the way for more agile and scalable solutions, OBS said, most notably through the continued expansion of the OBS Cloud. Developed in partnership with Alibaba, the OBS Cloud has evolved from a centralised solution into a “dynamic, distributed ecosystem”.
Speaking during the Milano Cortina Games about the distribution of signals to rights holders, OBS CTO Sotiris Salamouris said: “An important point which helps to understand the development of technology in this field is that from zero in Tokyo (2020 Summer Olympics) we have reached 70% of the global distribution over the cloud, which is an amazing development.
“Cloud has essentially replaced what was in the old days the most common way to do fast setup, live sport distribution, which was over satellite. That was how you did it, if you wanted to do it in a reasonably fast way and an effective way – satellite was your easiest option, globally.
“Today, we have another approach, which is equally widespread and can reach all territories with same quality or even higher quality, and has also better capabilities than satellite, because it’s much more flexible; you can also have much easier way of collecting your signals, and so on. So 70% now is happening over public cloud.”
Hybrid model
Media functions now extend across the IBC and venues, enabling advanced workflows for both OBS and MRHs. This hybrid model, combining private and public cloud, has become the industry standard for global content distribution, especially for UHD and HDR live transmissions.
OBS head of engineering Isidoro Moreno said: “Milano Cortina 2026 marks a turning point in Olympic broadcasting, cloud integration, and remote production. At these Games, software-defined broadcasting (SBD) is driving the shift towards the virtualisation of core OBS operations. This approach creates a reimagined broadcast environment where cloud technology, remote workflows, and AI-powered tools work seamlessly together, transforming how content is captured, managed, and delivered.”
For Milano Cortina 2026, OBS has introduced a new generation of TOCs. Instead of being hardware-heavy installations, TOCs are now virtualised environments, reducing physical footprint and increasing flexibility. These new TOCs run on powerful servers, enabling broadcasters to manage encoding, monitoring, multi-viewing, and measurement through scalable software applications.
Looking further ahead to the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 and beyond, one of the most forward-looking initiatives currently underway at OBS is the development of a fully cloud-based Master Control Room.
This innovation, currently in the proof-of-concept phase, promises to redefine how OBS manages live feeds, switching, and monitoring.
For MRHs, OBS said, the implications are significant. With cloud-based infrastructure, operations can be conducted remotely, reducing the need for extensive on-site installations at the IBC. Instead of racks of specialist equipment, a handful of servers, or even existing data centres, can support the entire workflow. This not only streamlines logistics but also aligns with sustainability goals, lowering power consumption and minimising the physical footprint.
In future host cities, this could allow the IBC to be housed in standard office buildings, eliminating the need for costly and energy-intensive systems such as air conditioning systems, UPS units, and backup generators.
While concerns around the energy demands of data centres persist, centralised infrastructure is far more efficient than duplicating high-power hardware across multiple locations. Purpose-built data centres are already optimised for resilience and energy efficiency, making them a smarter, greener solution. Ultimately, this shift supports a more scalable, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible model for global broadcasting.
