Facebook: Connecting Fans to the Games

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Facebook: Connecting Fans to the Games

This summer, people around the world will use our apps to experience the Games. We’re rolling out features across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to help people discover content and cheer on their teams.

Facebook

On Facebook, we’ll have a hub of information, including highlights from official Olympic broadcast partners, team and athlete overviews, explainers of competitions new to the Games, Olympic history, as well as posts from friends and more. Fans can visit the hub here or by clicking on the #Olympics or #Tokyo2020 hashtags. 

Screenshots of Olympics hub on Facebook

Instagram

Through augmented reality effects on Instagram, fans can get a unique experience in both Stories and Reels. In one AR effect, fans can attempt to mirror the movements of Miraitowa, the official Olympics mascot and earn AR medals for their performances. This effect is now available via the @olympics Instagram account. Another effect, available via the @Tokyo2020 Instagram account, features the official beat music of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 

In addition, Reels on the @instagram account will take fans behind the scenes with eleven Olympians as they prepare for Tokyo.

WhatsApp

The official Olympics chatbot is now available on WhatsApp. Leveraging the WhatsApp Business API, the chatbot will share the Olympic schedule, tune-in information for local broadcasts of the Games around the world, and the latest news and medal standings. ​​The chatbot will also include official stickers and a quiz on the various Olympic events. And fans can engage with it to explore the #StrongerTogether campaign from the Olympics.

Screenshots of Olympic chatbot on WhatsApp

Video Content

In select countries, fans will have access to highlights from Tokyo 2020, athlete profiles and interviews throughout the course of the Games via official Olympic broadcasters’ Facebook Pages and Instagram accounts. This includes NBC Universal in the US, Eurosport for parts of Europe, and beIN in the Middle East and North Africa. In select territories including India, Russia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Spanish-speaking Latin America, fans can see the day’s highlights from Tokyo on the official Olympics Facebook Page.  

We’re excited to connect people around the world to the Games and help fans cheer on their favorite teams, athletes and moments this summer on our apps.

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