2018-2024 Olympic Broadcast Rights Awarded in Japan

LAUSANNE: The Japan Consortium, which includes NHK (the Japan Broadcasting Corporation) and the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association, has secured an agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for broadcast rights for Olympic games in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024.

The Consortium was awarded the broadcast rights in Japan for the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang and the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in 2020 in Tokyo, as well as the broadcast rights for the 2022 and 2024 Olympic Games, the host cities of which have yet to be elected. It also acquired the right to broadcast the third Summer Youth Olympic Games, in Buenos Aires in 2018. The rights cover all media platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription television, Internet and mobile.

Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC, said: “We are delighted that we will continue to work with our broadcast partner, the Japan Consortium, until at least 2024. They have a proven track record in broadcasting the Games to the widest possible audience, which is the cornerstone of the IOC’s broadcast philosophy. The IOC redistributes over 90 percent of its revenues for the benefit of the wider Olympic Movement, and the funding generated by this agreement will support sport around the world, future organizers of the Games, including Tokyo 2020, and ultimately the athletes themselves.”

Zaiqing Yu, IOC's VP and member of the IOC’s TV rights and new media commission, said: “The Japan Consortium has provided excellent coverage of the Games, and we are happy that, as a result of this agreement, Japanese sports fans will be able to enjoy first-class coverage of the Games on their media platform of choice until 2024.”

Katsuto Momii, NHK's president, added: “We, as the Japan Consortium, were able to acquire the broadcast rights to four Summer and Winter Games this time. Above all, the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo, which will be the first Summer Games to be held in Japan for 56 years, will draw particularly high interest for the public. They are not merely a sports festival; they bring enormous significance for the future of Japan. NHK is devoted to spreading the excitement of the Olympic Games and to delivering inspiring Games through the most advanced technology, including free-to-air television, radio, digital services and 8K (SHV) from one end of the country to the other, and, in cooperation with JBA, will respond to the interest of the public audience.”

Hiroshi Inoue, the president of the JBA, said: “We are pleased to announce that we, as the Japan Consortium, have acquired the media rights for four Olympic Games, including Tokyo 2020. We are convinced that the Japan Consortium, composed of the public broadcaster NHK and commercial broadcasters, will serve as the best system to convey the Olympic Games to the Japanese audience to the maximum extent. In particular, as for the 2020 Olympic Games held in our local city of Tokyo, coverage of the Games will be on an even larger scale compared to past Games. We will now set out for thorough preparation, taking all possible measures for the Games. The Japan Consortium has long worked with the IOC to spread the philosophy of Olympism—‘to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.’ Now, with this long-term agreement, we have built a stable relationship with the IOC, which will enable us to convey the brilliance of Olympism more widely, deeply and constantly.”