Spectators are not allowed to be physically present in any of the venues of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The social media giants have taken that up as a challenge; and enabled fans to catch the action through live updates on their popular platforms. Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat have introduced new features that will allow users to have fun interactive experiences with the Olympics from the comfort of their homes.

Facebook

A dedicated 2020 Tokyo Olympics hub has been created on the ever-popular social media platform. Users will be able to see highlights, interviews, and more from official Olympic partner broadcasters. All Olympics related posts will be found in this hub along with explainers on the competitions for first-time watchers. Individuals can use the hashtags #Olympics and #Tokyo2020 to see the posts.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp users can connect to a dedicated Olympics chatbot that has been created using the WhatsApp business API. The chatbot can provide information like schedule, medal standings, highlights, and local broadcasts. Users of the Facebook-owned instant messaging app can also earn stickers by taking part in a quiz through the chatbot.

Instagram

Instagram has launched a set of filters to celebrate the launch of the Games. Users can use one of these features to mirror the movements of the official Olympics mascot, Miraitowa. The movements will be graded and users will be awarded medals based on their performance. The filters are available through the official Olympics Instagram and Tokyo 2020 Instagram accounts.

Snapchat

On the popular photo-sharing social media platform Snapchat, users can follow the International Olympic Committee (IOC) official handle. Users can also watch highlights of the game in the ‘Olympics Highlights’ and the ‘Best of Olympics’ stories in the discovery feed of the app. Snapchat has also launched its own filters where users need to complete a set of three exercises before the clock catches up.

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)