The Transmedia News Coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympics

This paper wishes to examine how transmedia features were structured and implemented by the official Brazilian broadcaster Globo Network (Rede Globo, in Portuguese), in the news coverage of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. Globo Network, the largest in Brazil, had the non-exclusive right to transmit the Games on television and the exclusive rights for cable television, Internet, and mobile phone broadcast (UOL, 2015). During the Games, Globo Network (in partnership with the Japanese broadcasting organization NHK) aired the live Opening and Closing ceremonies in ultra-high-definition 8K format (Lobo, 2016). Other innovations included sports commentators’ use of augmented reality, and high-definition images on the network’s Internet streaming service, Globo Play, as part of a strategic move to gain market share and boost Globo Network businesses domestically and internationally.