FPV Drones Are Transforming Winter Olympics Coverage – But the Noise Is Dividing Fans

They can be seen, they can definitely be heard. Nevertheless, Winter Olympics fans are enjoying the shots provided by FPV drones that are often racing behind the athletes.

The downhill skiing and luge events taking place this weekend at Milan-Cortina have been enhanced by the dramatic new camera angles. Some viewers have compared the shots to real-life video games.

But not everyone is so impressed.

Press photographers covering the games have had their action photos invaded by the flying cameras. Whether it makes for a better photo or not is in the eye of the beholder.

And photographers aren’t the only ones to have noticed them: viewers at home also get glimpses of the drones racing around on the broadcast. But seeing them is not the issue — it’s the trademark high-pitch whirring.

“Trying to watch the men’s downhill ski in the Olympics and this drone they are using to follow the skiers is extremely annoying with the high-pitched whine sound it outputs. I hate it,” writes KapG on X.

“The drone high-pitched whirring is driving me mad at the Winter Olympics. I want to hear the ski or snowboard carving, landing and crowd noise. Not a constant high-pitched drone following the contestant,” says Daniel Ricker.

The Games organizers tell Reuters that the drones aren’t impacting the athletes in any way.

“We look at this as an evolution of the sports. The expectation of everyone today is to have this kind of experience when you consume a sports event, even more so for the Olympic Games,” Pierre Ducrey, International Olympic Committee sports director, tells the press.

“We strive to offer the best viewing experience whether in the stadium or outside. We believe that the drones do not impact significantly the experience of the athletes. We have looked into it to make sure it doesn’t. Maybe some people are more sensitive than others.”

While drones were used at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 2026 Winter Games mark the first time they have been so prevalent. The drones are particularly impressive while covering sliding sports like luge, where they follow down the narrow ice canal for a shot never broadcast on television before.

“We tested drones before competitions, we have listened to the athletes’ community… so that the impact would not affect their performances, would not bother them in any way,” Milano Cortina Games sports director Anna Riccardi tells Reuters.

“Each athlete has a different level of sensitivity, awareness and capability for tackling innovation. So far we have not received any complaints that might lead to the non-use of drones in the future.”