Apple this week updated the Apple Maps app in Paris in preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics, which are set to begin on Friday, July 26. All permanent venues, such as the Parc de Princes and Centre Aquatique Olympique, are displayed as custom, hand-built 3D landmarks.
Iconic sites like Gare de l’Est, Pont d’Iéna, and Place de la Madeleine are also rendered with more detail, and for the first time, the Maps app is displaying pop up locations that include temporary venues, souvenir shops, and public gathering sites. support for pop up locations will help attendees find important places for the summer games.
All game locations and ceremony sites have special icons to help visitors find where they need to be, and Apple says that Maps displays all of the latest updates on road closures and advisories due to the games to help users navigate the city. There are curated Maps Guides for restaurants, hotels, and shopping, with dozens of new Guides from Le Bonbon, Le Fooding, Radio France, Madame Figaro, and My Little Paris.
Along with the Maps updates, Apple plans to feature stories spotlighting popular events like gymnastics and swimming in the App Store, and it recommends that people download the official Paris 2024 Olympics app to follow along. Sports-themed mobile games and health and fitness apps will be highlighted as well.
Full coverage of Olympic events will be available through the Peacock and NBC Sports apps, which can be downloaded from the App Store. A daily Olympic recap will be available on Peacock for fans in the U.S., offering customized playlists of highlights from relevant events from the prior day.
There is a dedicated NBC Olympics Hub in the Apple TV app for quick access to NBC coverage.
Apple Podcasts will feature shows and episodes celebrating sports and the power of gathering together in Paris, while Apple News will have curated coverage of the events and the stars of the games along with a schedule of events. Apple Music also plans to publish a Guide to French Music, which is an in-depth editorial feature of all the musical genres in France. It will go live later this week.
The Summer Olympics will begin next Friday with an Opening Ceremony that begins at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time or 7:30 p.m. Paris time. Soccer games will begin on July 24, with badminton, handball, rowing, volleyball, fencing, field hockey, shooting, diving, and gymnastics set to begin on July 27. Events will continue until August 11.
