Olympic fans have been able to see TV images since the public broadcasters began broadcasting live. The current bidding for the rights will show whether this will remain the case.
The billion-dollar poker for the moving Olympic pictures and the bidding for the expensive TV goods is running. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has tendered media rights involving several thousand hours of live reporting.
“We are in talks about the rights on the European market,” confirmed IOC President Thomas Bach of the German Press Agency. According to Bach, Russia and Belarus are excluded from the negotiations.
Media rights flush IOC billions into the coffers
Olympic Games are among the most valuable media rights in the sports market. They are in great demand with media companies and television stations because of the high number of viewers and flush the IOC billions into the coffers. The 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo and the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles are currently advertised. But it is also possible to buy more.
“Bidders also have the opportunity to submit a bid for an additional Olympics,” says the IOC. This concerns the Winter Games 2030, which have not yet been awarded, and the Summer Games in Brisbane 2032. Offers only for the period 2030/2032 are not possible.
In Germany, ARD and ZDF are traditionally the Olympic channels. What are they doing now? “Since the start of television broadcasting of the games in 1956, public broadcasters have been reporting on the Olympic Games,” emphasized ZDF editor-in-chief Peter Frey when asked by dpa: “Our Olympic reporting stands for a modern and cross-platform, made of linear and not -linear elements existing exploitation concept as well as editorial competence.”
Frey said nothing directly about the tender – like other potential interested parties. No wonder, because a lot of money is involved. And according to the IOC, all interested parties had to sign “a confidentiality agreement”.
Regarding the criteria for the award, the seller said: “The IOC … evaluates the offers on their ability to meet the highest standards in transmission quality, their ability to reach the largest possible audience, their commitment to the promotion of the Olympic Games and the financial offer.” The first criteria are taken for granted. Money should be the key.
Discovery holds European TV rights until 2024
Most recently, the US company Discovery had secured the European TV rights for four games until 2024 for a guaranteed sum of 1.3 billion euros. The Eurosport mother had prevailed against ARD and ZDF, among others. Subsequent negotiations on sub-licenses were initially broken off with great fanfare.
It was not until mid-2017, a few months before the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, that an agreement was reached on the resale of rights for the German TV market. This contract lasts in 2024 at the summer games in Paris, where ARD/ZDF and Eurosport will report in parallel for the fourth time.
“The IOC will consider offers for multiple areas or a single area,” says the rights seller. According to dpa information, ARD and ZDF do not offer alone, but together via the European Broadcasting Union.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
