As the sports industry gears up for a much-anticipated Paris Olympics, Reuters is ready to populate fan-facing platforms with text, picture and video content that captures the action from all angles.
The world-leading agency, founded in 1851, will lean on more than 170 years of editorial experience while deploying cutting-edge technology to provide comprehensive coverage of Paris 2024, as well as many other sporting events over the summer.
UEFA’s European Championship in Germany and the Copa America in the United States kicked off Reuters’ Summer of Sport, with fans around the world kept on the edge of their seats with world-class coverage, and Paris 2024 promises to be just as engaging throughout the coming weeks.
With a vast resource of 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists worldwide, Reuters is fully equipped to navigate the busy weeks ahead.
“One of our key advantages is that we have great local expertise that we combine with an international outlook,” Reuters’ global sports editor Ossian Shine says. “Our team is full of correspondents drawn from all corners of the world, and that just helps us to give a really rich perspective.”
Historically, the agency’s foundations were built on a reputation for unerringly accurate words delivered at lightning speed to news publishers worldwide. Unquestionably, this is still at the heart of the agency’s offering and will be vital as fans wait on the latest developments at the biggest sports event on the planet.
“We really pride ourselves on our speed,” Shine adds. “When a gold medallist is known, we will break that news within a minute. Then, within a minute of that, there will be a fuller story available, and within five minutes, there will be a full story.
“One of the strengths of Reuters’ coverage is that we seek to tell the stories behind the story. To tell those stories, you really have to be there on the ground.”
Storytelling
From sports media platforms to brands associating themselves with the industry’s marquee names, teams and occasions, storytelling has become an essential tool for fan engagement and, ultimately, monetisation.
Reuters has recognised this, and has adapted its services over the years to reflect this shift across an evolving media landscape. Video, graphics and audio have been added to the agency’s long-established editorial copy offering, as well as pictures.
Indeed, the acquisition of Action Images nearly two decades ago gave Reuters the opportunity to accelerate its expansion from its traditional media client base into the commercial market – and the sports-focused photography provider will have a key presence across the upcoming sporting schedule.
During this year’s major sporting events, there will be as many as 2,500 to 3,000 pictures delivered daily from more than 60 photographers, with dedicated photography teams capturing reactions inside and outside venues.
“In less than one minute, all metadata is added and each picture is fully captioned and coded to determine where the pictures are sent worldwide,” says Action Images’ editor in charge, Mark Hartnell.
Cutting-edge technology
Across the grand sporting spectacles, cutting-edge technology will be deployed. This will include mirrorless cameras to enhance the quality of pictures, as well as dozens of remote and robotic ones to ensure crucial action is followed every step of the way.
Embeddable graphics will provide insights into rules, techniques and schedules, with the aim of informing and educating fans. Meanwhile, reflecting the changing nature of sports consumption, daily audio recaps will be tailored for social media platforms such as X and Threads.
Building on this, Reuters will offer vertical videos optimised for social platforms. There will also be daily video highlights, live coverage of key press briefings and even coverage of iconic landmarks as they undergo an Olympic makeover, ensuring clients can give fans a taste of what it is like to be there in person.
“We put our clients at the heart of the action,” says Ursa Presern, Reuters’ global sports editor, video. “We bring the latest action and news, but also the emotions, atmosphere and magic.”
According to Iain Axon, sports video producer, the breadth of the agency’s offering makes it an ideal partner for platforms seeking to engage enthusiasts in an unmissable sporting agenda.
“We’re fantastic at covering breaking news, but we’re about more than that: great personal stories, great features, great colour and great live coverage,” Axon says.
Promising unparalleled access to key moments during this year’s most-watched sporting events, Reuters is offering clients a range of flexible subscription packages, including short-term arrangements.
Contact the Reuters team to find out more today.