Behind the Scenes at Hotel Raphael: A Content House Built for Athletes and Fans
5 Key Takeaways:
Paris 2024 Was Revolutionary: Eurosport's approach was more than broadcasting; it was about capturing the personal stories behind every athlete.
Equal Representation Milestone: For the first time in Olympic history, there was an equal gender split among the 10,500 athletes.
Innovative Broadcast Setup: The Hotel Raphael rooftop studio was a central hub, giving Eurosport a unique edge in their coverage.
Streaming Takes the Lead: Eurosport saw a massive shift in how audiences consumed Olympic content through streaming, with 7 billion minutes streamed across 19 days.
Looking Ahead to Milan-Cortina and Los Angeles: Eurosport is embracing remote production and plans to merge entertainment and sports for Los Angeles 2028.
Paris 2024: A New Era of Olympic Broadcasting
Eurosport’s mission for Paris 2024 was clear: go beyond traditional sports coverage and focus on storytelling. Scott Young, Head of Eurosport, reflected on their vision, stating:
"Our job was to tell the story of the Olympians... 10,500 athletes descended on France to achieve their dreams."
Eurosport took pride in creating a fully immersive experience for viewers, leveraging their extensive reach across 47 markets in 19 languages to connect fans globally to these personal stories.
Hotel Raphael: Eurosport’s Content House
The heart of Eurosport’s coverage came from an unlikely place—the luxurious Hotel Raphael in Paris. Located just minutes from the Arc de Triomphe, Eurosport transformed the rooftop into a cutting-edge broadcast studio. This wasn’t just about fancy views; it became a home for the athletes.
"We needed to be in the heart of the action... and create a home where athletes would love to come," Young explained.
The rooftop studio provided a one-of-a-kind backdrop for interviews and live coverage, showcasing the city’s iconic landmarks while connecting fans directly to the pulse of the games.
Streaming Revolution: Empowering Fans
A major breakthrough for Eurosport was how they leveraged streaming platforms like Max and Discovery Plus. Fans could now curate their own Olympic experience, choosing specific sports or events to follow.
“Streaming means you can watch what you want, when you want, and wherever you want.”
This shift became clear when Eurosport hit a massive 7 billion minutes streamed over the 19-day event, with a peak of 600 million minutes on August 4, the busiest day of the games.
Gender Equality at the Heart of Paris 2024
A significant milestone was the equal gender split among Olympians for the first time in history. This wasn’t just an achievement for the athletes but also for Eurosport, which embraced the opportunity to promote these inspiring stories.
"Gender Equality was really important for us as a sports broadcaster"
Beyond Paris: Preparing for Milan-Cortina and Los Angeles
Looking ahead, Young discussed how the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics presents new logistical challenges, with events spread across multiple cities. However, he emphasized that remote production and cloud-based systems will make it easier for Eurosport to cover every moment.
For the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, Eurosport plans to fuse sports and entertainment like never before, thanks to the cultural home of Warner Brothers in LA.
"We now know that LA is going to be a real escalation of how audiences love to consume sport via streaming."
As Paris 2024 set a new standard for how the world experiences the Olympics, Eurosport’s focus remains on innovation and storytelling. With lessons learned from Paris and ambitious plans for future games, Eurosport continues to redefine the way we connect with sports on a global scale.
Marking a future where fans have more control over how they engage with the games, Young concluded:
"We are a sports streaming business. Our mission is to build the very best sports and entertainment experience around the world-"
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