The Road To Rio: Xfinity’s New Olympics Coverage Platform

Friday, July 29, 2016

Brian Maahs, Oregon Sports News

I witnessed the future of event-based television entertainment. XFINITY’s new X1 Olympics viewing platform will change the way you watch events such as the 2016 RIO Olympics forever. Along with its innovative and user friendly Voice Remote, XFINITY has developed the most immersive and all-inclusive platform for watching televised events.

I met with Vice President of Product Management for XFINITY Peter Nush, and he demonstrated all of the various features of X1’s new Olympic viewing technology. From choosing between multiple feeds in which to watch the numerous events in gymnastics to adding “Favorite” athletes for more in-depth coverage, the new “Road to RIO by XFINITY” will give even the casual viewer something to cheer for.

This new product has been designed to encompass all forms of viewing technologies by utilizing the X1 sports app as well as incorporating all of the multitude of streaming options provided by NBC to give you the opportunity of watching the Olympics from anywhere on any device. You can also be alerted via text message when an athlete or team is about to compete or an event is about to happen so you will never miss a minute of Olympic glory.

Just one example of this awesome new viewing revolution is the fact that you can simplify your search for a particular athlete or event just by designating them as a “Favorite”. Once you have done this, you can watch previous highlights, read their bios, and follow every event they participate in during the Games. As mentioned before, you can set up alerts for when your favorite athlete or country is participating in a certain event. And, in case you missed the opening of a competition, you have the option of starting that event from the beginning, ensuring that you never miss a second. For the casual fans who are only interested in the biggest moments, XFINITY customers can access the internet channel “The Gold Zone”, which highlights only events in which gold medals are at stake.

If you are skeptical about the new voice remote’s capabilities, Nush assured me that countless hours of customer feedback as well as many months of research and development have gone into the voice remote’s capabilities. The voice recognition is exceptional and the ease of use is unparalleled. If you get stuck wondering just how to ask the remote to perform a task, one can simply ask “What can I say?” and the remote will give you suggestions of phrases and/or questions to aid you in your search.

XFINITY has chosen the perfect event in which to launch this new technology. The 2016 RIO Olympics will be the most widely viewed Olympic Games to date because of the numerous television outlets, including Telemundo, The Golf Channel, USA Network, Bravo, and NBC Universal, as well as a myriad of internet streaming options being provided. However, the Olympics are just the beginning. Event-based entertainment such as the 2016 presidential elections, March Madness, NASCAR races, the College Football Playoff, and even the Academy Awards will all be covered by XFINITY’s new innovation in the future. Imagine watching Brad Pitt give an acceptance speech on ABC, then instantly being able to watch the internet streams of him giving quick interviews and congratulatory hugs back stage. Or, envision being able to watch every aspect of the Duke Blue Devils’ drive for yet another Final Four!

XFINITY has made event-based television viewing as simple as possible, while providing the deepest and most comprehensive information access to even the most rabid fan. This new X1 product has given me a new excitement about the future of television. If you haven’t experienced the new voice remote or X1’s advanced viewing options, I highly recommend going to a local XFINITY store and seeing for yourself. Don’t let the “Road to RIO” pass you by.