Google adds 2016 Summer Olympics features across Search, YouTube, and Maps

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games, taking place August 5 to August 21, are almost upon us. Like most tech companies — and just as it has in past years — Google is adding features that help viewers find content and information related to the events. This year, Google Search, YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Trends are all getting some Olympic love.

First up, Google Search will include the event schedule, medal counts, and athlete information right on its result pages. Furthermore, TV schedules will also be available in over 30 countries. If you search on the Google app for Android or iOS, you’ll also see an option to get notifications about top events and medal wins. Google Trends, which depends on your queries, will also be able to show you the latest Olympic search trends from around the world.

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YouTube has partnered with broadcasters (including the BBC, America Movil, and NHK) in over 60 countries. As a result, official broadcasters’ video highlights will be available right on the video site, as well as directly in Google Search. YouTube is also sending 15 top creators (including Liza Koshy, Brodie Smith, Ben Brown, Caeli, Chloe Morello, and Felipe Castanhari) to Rio de Janeiro to livestream and take 360­-degree videos of events.

Last, but not least, Google Maps lets you explore Brazil from home. While this isn’t technically new, the company has made an effort to let you see not just the city, but also previews of “the places where the world’s most talented athletes will make history.”

As Google put it, the company’s hope is that “you’ll let Google be your guide [to the Olympics].” This isn’t anything new for Google, and it’s no surprise why the company does it: It’s the best type of advertising there is. Updating your products so they’re useful during world events always beats spending money on global marketing campaigns.