• Industry Virtual & Augmented Reality Aerospace News FPV Drones Transform Olympic Broadcasting With Advanced Tech at 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games From breathtaking first-person views to sport-specific innovations, FPV drones are redefining how audiences experience the Winter Olympics. • February 13, 2026 At a Glance Each 250-gram FPV drone requires battery swaps after covering just two athlete runs during events Drone pilots wear VR goggles and train extensively in their assigned sports for authentic coverage Safety protocols include trained marshals and debris removal procedures for track-based events Although the Olympic Broadcasting Service has deployed drones for event coverage since the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, the2026 Games in Milano Cortina, Italyhas marked an amazing advance in the technology offirst-person view (FPV) dronecoverage. • FPV Drones Revolutionize Olympic Coverage Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) has deployed 15 teams of FPV drone operators to Milano Cortina, covering every event except figure skating, hockey, and curling, reported OBS CEO Yiannis Exarchos during the International Olympic Committee’s daily briefing on Feb. • There are also ten older-tech drones that fly above events to provide establishing shots of the venues. • These bigger drones are still useful for overhead shots of the venues. • OLYMPIC BROADCASTING SERVICE Overcoming Technical Hurdles for Drones Specific technical hurdles to be overcome in the use of these improved drones include battery technology and communications.

Article Summaries:

  • FPV drones are reshaping coverage of the 2026 Milano‑Cortina Winter Olympics. Olympic Broadcasting Services deployed 15 teams of 250‑gram drones that provide first‑person footage of all events except figure skating, hockey and curling, supplementing ten larger overhead drones. Pilots, trained in the specific sport they cover, wear VR goggles and rely on spotters for situational awareness. Each drone’s battery lasts for two athlete runs, after which a quick swap at base restores power. OBS reports that latency and safety issues have been resolved, enabling seamless, real‑time cuts to drone footage. The initiative marks a significant technological leap from the Sochi 2014 deployment.

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