Nearly eight billion dollars is the value of the contract, on the basis of which NBC Universal has secured the U.S. broadcasting rights to the Olympic Games, up to and including the 2032 Summer Games. The contract for three Winter and three Summer Games following the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, was
signed on Wednesday in Lausanne, with IOC President Thomas Bach, who led the negotiations, proudly stating:
“This agreement is excellent news for the entire Olympic
Movement as it helps to ensure its financial security in the long term,
in particular future host cities of the Olympic Games, the athletes of
the 204 National Olympic Committees and the International Sports
Federations. The IOC has worked in close partnership with NBC for
many decades, and we are thrilled we will continue to work with them
through to 2032. NBC’s expertise in sports broadcasting, as well as
their passion for the Olympic values, will mean we shall be able
continue to offer first-class broadcast coverage of the Olympic Games
to the widest possible American audience for many years to come.”
NBCU has acquired the broadcast rights across all media platforms, including
free-to-air television, subscription television, internet and mobile. The agreement
from 2021 to 2032 is valued at 7.65 billion US$ , plus an additional 100 million
Dollars signing bonus to be used for the promotion of Olympism and the Olympic
values between 2015 and 2020.
“The Olympics are the world’s greatest cultural and athletic event, and
presenting them to the American audience is an honour and privilege for our entire
company. Our long-term commitment to and investment in the Olympic Movement
are a reflection of our belief in the future of broadcast television, as well as our
confidence that our partners at the IOC will continue to deliver great Games and
that the Olympics will remain the world’s premier sports event. All of us at Comcast
NBCUniversal are extremely proud that we have been entrusted to be the U.S. home
for nine more Olympics, and we look forward to using all of our resources to
continue our tradition of ground-breaking Olympic coverage,” said
Brian Roberts, Chairman and CEO of NBC’s parent company, Comcast
Corporation said, with Steve Burke, CEO, NBCUniversal, adding:
“This is one of the most important days in the history of
NBCUniversal. The Olympics are part of the fabric of our company,
and we couldn’t be more excited that today’s announcement
guarantees that this massively popular and profitable programming
will continue to air every two years on the broadcast, cable, digital
and mobile platforms of NBCUniversal for the next two decades. No
event brings families together like the Olympics, and no-one in media
is more accomplished or better equipped to tell the athletes’ stories
than NBC Sports. I want to thank the IOC for their faith in us, as well
as Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus and NBC Olympics President
Gary Zenkel, whose leadership was invaluable in bringing this deal to
fruition.”
NBCU, which in 2011 had acquired the right to broadcast the Olympic Games
until 2020 (including the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in
2016, the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (2018) in PyeongChang, and the Games of
the XXXII Olympiad (2020) in Tokyo), will now broadcast every Olympic Games
through to 2032, the host cities of which are yet to be elected. In addition, NBCU
also has acquired the broadcast rights for every edition of the Youth Olympic Games
through to 2032.renaldo
By 2032, NBCU will have covered a total of 23 editions of the Olympic Games,
since its first Games broadcast in Tokyo in 1964. This unprecedented long-term
agreement demonstrates the confidence the IOC has in NBCU’s expertise and the
excellent broadcast coverage it has delivered over many years.
“We are thrilled that we will be working side by side with NBC for the next 18
years. This is a good day for American Olympic athletes and hopefuls. NBC’s
demonstrated ability not only to broadcast the Olympic Games, but to tell the
stories of our athletes in a way that makes our nation proud, makes them an ideal
partner. We feel very fortunate that they want to make a long-term commitment to
the Olympic Movement,” said Scott Blackmun, CEO of the United States Olympic
Committee.
The agreement is a major contribution to the long-term financial stability of
the entire Olympic Movement. The IOC distributes more than 90 per cent of the
revenue it generates to support the International Sports Federations; the 204
National Olympic Committees.
This article was republished with permission from Karl-Heinz Huba, editor and publisher of the Sport Intern.