At the Winter Olympic Games in Milan, something feels different.
It’s not the venues.
It’s not the athletes.
It’s not even the scale.
It’s the way we’re seeing it.
Across multiple disciplines – from luge and bobsleigh to alpine skiing and speed skating – FPV (first-person view) drones are transforming the broadcast experience. Instead of static camera angles and distant tracking shots, audiences are now chasing athletes down mountains, diving into sliding centres and weaving around speed skaters at eye level.
The result? A shift from watching sport… to feeling it.
And according to Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, that shift has been a “game changer.”
From spectator to participant
Scott Young, EVP at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, didn’t understate the impact.
“The introduction of drones across many sports at these Games has been, frankly, a game changer… there’s a real wow factor about what the athletes are doing, thanks to these drones.”
Traditionally, winter sports have presented a production challenge. The speeds are extreme. The environments are vast. The camera positions are often fixed and far from the athlete.
FPV drones change that dynamic completely.
Now, instead of watching a skeleton athlete disappear down a track, audiences follow inches behind. Instead of seeing an alpine skier from a broadcast tower, we descend with them. Instead of observing speed skaters from above, we orbit them at pace.
As Young explained:
“We need to be able to take people on a ride down the sliding centre… Going down the mountain in men’s and women’s racing… it’s an extraordinary opportunity. Ordinary human beings could never do what these athletes do, and yet, when you follow them down with a drone, you really feel you’re on that ride with them.”
That feeling – of being on the ride – is the key.
Immersion as the new broadcast standard
This isn’t just a technical upgrade. It’s a philosophical one.
For decades, sports broadcasting has been about clarity and coverage. Show everything. Capture every angle. Don’t miss a moment.
Now, it’s about immersion.
Young puts it simply:
“One of those forms of innovation is how we take an audience closer to the field of play and get them closer to the action.”
The drone doesn’t just show you speed. It shows you risk. It shows you proximity. It shows you complexity.
When a drone chases a speed skater around the track – something previously seen in track cycling – it doesn’t just capture movement. It reveals the micro-adjustments, the tactical positioning, the strain.
It turns understanding into experience.
And that experience keeps viewers engaged longer.
The competitive edge of innovation
The introduction of FPV drones also reflects a broader trend in global sports production: innovation is no longer optional.
Broadcasters are competing not just on rights, but on quality of delivery. The Olympics are one of the few global sporting moments where production itself becomes part of the spectacle.
Warner Bros. Discovery works closely with Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) at every Games to push innovation forward. The drone deployment in Milan is a result of that collaboration, and it sets a new benchmark.
Once audiences have felt what it’s like to ride down a luge track at 130km/h, going back to static coverage feels like a downgrade.
The bar has moved.
Technology serving storytelling
What makes the drones effective isn’t just the hardware. It’s the storytelling intent behind them.
The goal isn’t novelty. It’s proximity.
As Young explains:
“It takes you on a journey and makes you really understand the complexity of the sport – and takes you closer to the action drawing people into the screen, and they stay glued for longer.”
That last part matters.
Attention is scarce. Engagement is fragile. In a world of second screens and constant distraction, broadcast sport has to fight harder than ever to hold viewers.
Immersive camera technology isn’t just about spectacle. It’s about retention.
What this means for the future
The Milan Winter Olympics may be remembered not just for medals, but for how they were filmed.
FPV drones are unlikely to remain a winter-only phenomenon. Expect them to influence:
- motorsport coverage
- athletics
- football warm-ups and tunnel walks
- marathon racing
- extreme sports
- even esports and hybrid events
As audiences grow more accustomed to first-person experiences through gaming, VR and short-form content, broadcast sport will increasingly lean into perspectives that feel playable rather than watchable.
The drone isn’t just a camera.
It’s a bridge between athlete and audience.
Behind Sport Takeaway
The FPV drones at the Milan Winter Olympics represent more than a technical flourish.
They signal a new era in sports broadcasting — one where immersion is as important as information, and feeling the sport matters as much as understanding it.
For broadcasters, the lesson is clear: innovation is no longer a bonus. It’s the baseline.
Once you’ve taken viewers on the ride, they won’t settle for watching from the sidelines again.
You can read more from our Insight series here. You can also join the thousands of sport professionals who receive our weekly newsletter here.
