With the Winter Olympics now in full swing, fans across the U.S. are settling in to watch their favorite athletes fly down icy courses and chase podium finishes. As always, NBC Sports is the network bringing the action from Milan-Cortina to American viewers, and early reactions have been pretty positive.
At first, it just felt like the usual wall-to-wall Olympic coverage but as the events got underway, many fans started noticing one small change that made following the action feel noticeably smoother and more immersive. It wasn’t flashy or overhyped, but it quietly transformed how viewers experienced the competition, and that subtle shift is now getting NBC plenty of praise.
The big upgrade people are talking about is the way NBC has started tracking athletes especially in events like alpine skiing with a drone that races alongside them as they tear down the course at incredible speeds. Instead of the usual fixed camera angles, viewers are now getting a dynamic, close-follow perspective that makes it feel like you’re right there on the mountain with them.
The shot is fast, smooth and thrilling to watch, and fans picked up on it immediately. Social media quickly filled with praise for the broadcast, with many saying the new angle makes the races more exciting and easier to follow than ever before.
A shocked fan took to Twitter to say, “I need @NBCOlympics to do a piece on the drone operators following these downhill skiers because HOW ARE THEY DOING THIS”
Another fan added, “This drone camera following the downhill skiers is awesome. Give me an all-dronecast feed.”
“Got to say the broadcasting from the drone camera trailing skiers in the downhill is super cool.”- said a fan.
With the Games now underway, Team USA has opened its medal count, and for the moment it’s a single but big one. Breezy Johnson delivered it by coming out on top in the women’s downhill, giving the U.S. its first podium finish of Milano 2026.
The American speed specialist edged past Germany’s Emma Aicher and Italy’s Sofia Goggia to claim the win, marking not just the country’s first medal of these Olympics, but also the first Olympic podium of Johnson’s career.