More viewers watch the Olympics on social media devices than ever before, with United States broadcaster NBC reporting that already more a billion minutes of Beijing 2022 have been streamed on their digital platform Peacock.

"The Games are already the most viewed games ever but they showcase the shift in the way content is consumed," Exarchos said

"All these seismic changes inform the work that we do in broadcasting the Games

"To deliver the most innovative Games ever, despite the limitations of the pandemic."

More than 6,000 hours of event coverage is being transmitted along with additional material for rights holders, including athlete profiles and other events.

"The overwhelming offering of content can sometimes be disorientating," Exarchos said.

"I cannot say that is a problem that collectively we as media have cracked. 

"I agree that the over profiling from the point of view of the platforms.

"To be fed with only the things that you expect is a dangerous thing. 

"To be deprived of some of the nicer things that you might miss.

"People have preferences.

"I am not saying that they prefer to consume only very short content but we need to meet their needs when they want to consume short form content and when they want to sit back and watch the full competition.

"Some of the best content we produce is actually long form and we recently launched two long feature films."

These films have included the directorial debut of Lindsey Vonn, who worked with Frank Marshall on a film about fellow skier Picabo Street, and also a documentary on the Salt Lake City 2002 British women’s curling gold medal which have recently been premiered on the Olympic Channel.

"These are clearly stories you can immerse yourself in take your time and get into the narrative," Exarchos said.

"What we have to do is to produce content for all possible platforms and all possible narratives

"For us it is important to offer many different options and many different types of content.

"We have introduced a number of data driven innovations, information which helps people understand what it takes to perform at this level.

"We use virtual analysis to introduce the casual viewers to understand how the sports work.

These include at the curling a visualisation of stone trajectories and new measurements.

A virtual overhead camera also allow "unimpeded analysis of stone position, contact points, trajectory and distance between stones for one sheet at a time," said OBS.