Samsung’s central message for Paris 2024 is “Open always wins,” which articulates the belief that with an open mind, every new experience becomes a meaningful achievement — a sentiment embodied by the athletes competing at the Paralympic Games. Samsung will celebrate the open-mindedness and resilience demonstrated by Paralympians, harnessing its latest mobile technology to open up new experiences and possibilities for athletes, fans, and the rest of the world, during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

“Samsung has been a Paralympic Games partner for almost two decades, and as committed supporters of the Paralympic Movement, we’re proud to help deliver the best possible Games-time experience for athletes, fans, spectators and volunteers at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with our latest mobile technology,” said Stephanie Choi, EVP & Head of Marketing of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “It is an honor to bring fans across the world closer to their favorite Paralympians, their stories and uncompromising spirit, as they forge new paths and inspire greatness.”

Continued Support of the Paralympic Movement

Samsung’s support of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games follows an 18-year partnership which began at the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games. During this time, Samsung has used its mobile technology to engage and inspire fans and supporters while raising awareness of the Paralympic Movement. The “Dialogue in the Dark” demonstration at Sochi 2014 saw visitors at the Galaxy Studio Olympic Park experience a day in the life of a visually impaired person to help visitors understand the challenges they can experience from their perspective. Similarly, at PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, visitors at the Samsung experience space were able to try the Relúmĭno feature in conjunction with Samsung Gear VR, which helped those with low vision see the world more clearly. Samsung will continue to promote sporting excellence and shared values embodied by Paralympic athletes through its ongoing support of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Championing Team Samsung Galaxy Trailblazers

For the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Samsung has been supporting its roster of Team Samsung Galaxy athletes. The team of trailblazers, who were selected due to their impact on and off the field of play, includes French blind footballer and Olympic Torchbearer Yvan Wouandji and Paralympians Johannes Floors (para athletics, Germany), Madison De Rozario (para athletics, Australia), Ugo Didier (para swimming, France), Hee-jin Kim (goalball, Korea), Kadeena Cox (para cycling and para athletics, Great Britain) and Desirée Vila (para athletics, Spain). The athletes shared their sentiments regarding Samsung’s support:

• Ugo Didier: “The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games are particularly special, taking place in my home country. Beyond the competition, I want to show that with enough dedication, everyone can compete in sporting events and achieve world-class performances regardless of disability, so I’m grateful to be working alongside Samsung to share this message.”

• Madison De Rozario: “Technology is playing a significant role in our entire movement of sport. To make a tangible impact on fans and people, you need to be able to connect with them to truly learn who they are and for them to know who you are. It’s an honor to be supported by Samsung as I go into my fifth Paralympic Games to bring people around the world closer to the Paralympic Movement.”

• Johannes Floors: “To be a successful Paralympian, determination is vital, but it also requires honest self-reflection, the ability to take criticism, meticulous engineering and open-mindedness to try the new and innovative approaches that ultimately set you up for success. I’m delighted to be working with Samsung, who share these values and reflect them in their own innovation.”

Additionally, Samsung released its film Voices of Galaxy, which spotlights Johannes Floors’ story — his motivation, determination, and passion to make an impact on next generation — in May.

Harnessing the Latest Technology for an Unforgettable Games-Time Experience 

To enhance the athlete experience, Samsung is providing nearly 5,000 Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition smartphones to Paralympians competing in the Games. The exclusive edition features a suite of built-in services and apps to help athletes to enjoy Paris and navigate every aspect of their Games-time experience with ease. The Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition supports the latest Galaxy AI features — as well as accessibility features — ensuring all Paralympians have the best experience possible.

Interpreter^[1], which instantly translates live conversations, will allow all Paralympians to connect with fellow athletes from around the world. Bixby Vision for Accessibility, which gives audio descriptions of images and user surroundings, and Relúmĭno outline, which enhances the screen’s contrast and brightness or sharpens image outlines to increase visibility, allowing athletes with low vision to seamlessly navigate competition venues and stay connected with fans following their Paris 2024 journey.

Opening Up Fan Experiences To Put the Paralympic Spirit in Motion

The start of the Paralympic Games also marks the next wave of the popular Samsung Olympic Games Pin Collection, taking place at the fully accessible Olympic rendezvous @ Samsung pop-up experiences at Champs-Elysees 125 and Square Marigny in Paris. Fans of the Paralympic Games can participate in Galaxy AI experiences to complete their collection of 16 specially-designed pins, including four that represent Paralympic sports — blind football, para athletics, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis — to receive a new Galaxy Z Flip6 and a chance to win a round-trip package for two to attend Milano Cortina 2026. Fans will also have the opportunity to participate in an interactive journey through Samsung’s rich heritage around the Olympic and Paralympic Games and try out the latest Galaxy technology for themselves at the sites. In addition, Samsung plans to conduct a series of events and appearances at its Olympic^TM Rendezvous @ Samsung pop-up experience sites throughout the Games to bring fans face-to-face with their favorite Paralympic athletes.

Fans and visitors can celebrate the Games and get closer to Samsung’s latest technology at the Olympic^TM rendezvous @ Samsung sites, open throughout the duration of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games:

• The Olympic^TM rendezvous @ Samsung | Square Marigny will be re-opened on August 29 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. until September 8.
• The Olympic^TM rendezvous @ Samsung | Champs-Élysées 125 is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays until October 31.

^{[1] Interpreter requires Samsung Account login. Certain languages may require language pack download. Service availability may vary by language. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed. Availability and supported features may vary by country, region or carrier. Availability of supported languages may vary.}

To bring fans closer to the action than ever before, Samsung installed more than 200 Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphones on the 85 athlete boats taking part in the Opening Ceremony. The event was livestreamed through a private 5G network powered by Orange, the official mobile network provider for Paris 2024 in France).

Fans tuning into the broadcast were given a closer look at an already unique celebration of the Olympic spirit in the 2024 host city of Paris. Those who watched the Opening Ceremony could experience the event from the athletes’ point of view as they shared scenes from this memorable ceremony using their Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition smartphones.

Samsung collaborated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) to create a meaningful night for athletes and fans — requiring extensive planning with various Olympic partners for real-time footage streams, seamless 5G connectivity and other technology support.

The opening ceremony livestream is just one of several ways Samsung is sharing the excitement from Paris 2024 with the world. The sailing competition in Marseille and Victory Selfies will also bring fans closer to the Olympic Games. For a brand-new view of the sailing competition in Marseille, Samsung is installing Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphones to the boats and on the athletes’ shoulders. Furthermore, medalists can capture their emotions with Victory Selfies using the Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition provided at the podium.

More than 100 experts, 250 phones and 360 days of testing made delivering these moments possible. The efforts to enhance the viewing experience for fans around the world were all part of Paris 2024’s vision of ‘Games Wide Open.’ Through its mobile innovations, Samsung will inspire Paris 2024 athletes and fans to keep an open mind because ‘Open always wins.’

Team Kenya athlete shares a selfie with fans with the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition. Photo credit: Getty / Samsung

Team Japan athletes share a selfie with fans with the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition. Photo credit Getty/Samsung

Team Australia athlete shares a selfie with fans with the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition. Photo credit Getty/Samsung

Team Guatemala athlete shares lifelong memory with fans with his new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition. Photo credit: Getty/Samsung

Team Korea athletes share their experience with fans with their new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition. Photo credit Getty/Samsung

Team Refugee athletes share their experience with fans with their new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition. Photo credit Getty/Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra placed on boat to offer a unique view of the Opening Ceremony. Photo credit: Getty/Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultras placed on boat to offer a unique view of the Opening Ceremony. Photo credit: Getty/Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra placed on the bow of the Team GB boat during the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony. Photo credit Getty/Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra placed on the bow of the Team Romania boat during the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony. Photo credit Getty/Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra placed on the bow of the Team Senegal boat during the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony. Photo credit Getty/Samsung

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner, today announced its plans alongside the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) to revolutionise the Paris 2024 broadcast experience for viewers and fans. New, first-of-its-kind footage – which will be captured and shared with Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – will play an integral role in opening up the historic Opening Ceremony on the Seine River and the Olympic Games’ sailing competitions like never before.

As the Official Smartphone and Computing Equipment partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Samsung will harness its advanced mobile technology and 5G connectivity to provide a closer perspective of these iconic celebratory and competition moments. This new view, powered by Samsung Galaxy innovation, will not just help Paris 2024 deliver on its promise to be the most open Games ever, but also further Samsung’s legacy of innovation in support of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“In an increasingly connected society, Samsung Galaxy mobile technology has helped deepen and transform users’ relationships with the world, wherever they are. Having been a Worldwide Partner for nearly three decades, we know first-hand how important it is to create and enable the same meaningful connections at the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Stephanie Choi, EVP & Head of Marketing of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “We’re honored to be working closely with the IOC and OBS to provide high quality footage that will be part of a series of firsts at Paris 2024 and bring fans at home and onsite even closer to the excitement.”

In about a month, the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games will take place outside of a stadium for the first time ever. Paris 2024 will see 10,500 athletes float down the Seine River in designated boats for each national delegation, in what aims to be the most open and accessible opening ceremony in history. Departing from the Austerlitz bridge, the iconic parade will follow a six-kilometer route through the centre of Paris, passing some of the official Olympic Games venues before the ceremony’s grand finale at the Trocadéro.

Galaxy S24 Ultra Gives Viewers Front Row Seat to the Games

To bring fans at home closer to the action and provide an intimate glimpse of athlete’s reactions during this once-in-a-lifetime voyage, Samsung will install more than 200 Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphones at the bow and sides of each of the 85 athlete vessels at the opening ceremony. The high-quality HDR footage taken with the Galaxy S24 Ultra devices will be shared and streamed via a private 5G network powered by Orange, the official mobile network provider of Paris 2024 in France. Orange will install more than a dozen of 5G antennas along the Seine to create the first-ever 5G standalone network in France, as this pioneering collaboration is designed to ensure a seamless 5G connectivity and viewing experience for fans around the world.

Samsung will also deploy the same technology for the sailing competitions in Marseille by installing the Galaxy S24 Ultra on each competition boat, letting fans experience the thrill of the race alongside their favorite Olympians and allowing them to truly get in on the action.

This presented a whole new set of challenges and months of research, development and testing – in close collaboration with the OBS and Orange – to guarantee video quality and connectivity performance across various bodies of water and weather conditions, which can be really windy with huge waves or extremely hot and sunny. Samsung and its partners addressed these challenges by leveraging the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s Optical image stabilisation (OIS) features, increasing transmission power, and installing relay towers on chase boat to ensure a seamless livestream experience for viewers.

“As host broadcaster of the Olympic Games, we’re incredibly excited about this partnership with Samsung which will allow a truly original perspective of Paris 2024, evolving the way in which fans will experience the Games,” said Yiannis Exarchos, Chief Executive Officer of OBS. “Samsung’s latest mobile innovation will allow millions of fans around the world to live and breathe the spirit, action and emotion of the Opening Ceremony and sailing competitions alongside their favorite athletes in real-time.”

Samsung’s Long-Running Contribution to the Games

This announcement marks the next stage of Samsung’s long-standing commitment, in close collaboration with the IOC, to drive digital transformation and deliver cutting-edge technology at the Games by opening up the latest mobile innovations to athletes, fans and communities alike. This originated with the first ‘Call Home’ program which allowed nearly 2,500 athletes to speak to their families back home for free in 1998, when access to mobile phones was limited. It continued with the Wireless Olympic Works (WOW) app, the first official Olympic information service on mobile. The WOW app was introduced to Olympic organisers via Samsung-supplied Palm OS phones at Athens 2004 and then was made available to the public at Vancouver 2010, providing fans with the latest Games-time updates straight to their mobile phones.

In addition to driving mobile innovation, Samsung has also contributed to how athletes, and staff, connect and communicate during the Games-time. Since Nagano 1998, Samsung has provided athletes and staff with a total of more than 120,000 mobile products.

Details of how Samsung will further leverage its technological capabilities to bring fans closer to athletes, in another Olympic first will be revealed in the coming weeks.