BBC & Discovery to Share Olympic Games Rights in the U.K.

LONDON: A new long-term partnership has been signed between the BBC and Discovery Communications to share the rights for the Olympic Games in the U.K.

The BBC will sub-license from Discovery the exclusive free-to-air audio-visual rights for the 2022 and 2024 Olympic Games. In turn, Discovery will sub-license from the BBC the exclusive pay-TV rights in the U.K. for the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games.

This means that the BBC will continue to be the free-to-air home of the Olympic Games until 2024. The BBC’s package of rights is supplemented by digital rights to the content it broadcasts on TV. The agreement marks the first Olympic Games sub-licensing deal by Discovery.

Tony Hall, the director-general of the BBC, said, “The BBC prides itself on bringing the biggest sporting moments to the public. For many, the BBC has been their stadium for Olympic coverage. It is an event that unites the nation like no other. I’m delighted that through our new partnership with Discovery, the BBC will continue to carry the torch for great sporting coverage right through to the 2024 Games.”

“While the BBC has had to take some tough financial decisions, this partnership underlines our commitment to making world class sport available to all.”

David Zaslav, the president and CEO of Discovery Communications, added, “Discovery is a passionate and committed partner of the Olympic Movement. Today’s agreement is a win for U.K. sports fans and marks an exciting new chapter in Discovery and the BBC’s partnership on major sporting events. For 30 years, our two organizations have chartered new frontiers with co-production partnerships in factual and natural-history programming. Now we join together once again to bring the most compelling stories of human ambition, sacrifice and achievement to people across the U.K.”

Timo Lumme, the managing director of the International Olympic Committee’s television and marketing services, said, “We are delighted our partners Discovery/Eurosport and the BBC are collaborating on this long-term agreement which is great news for viewers in the U.K. By sharing the rights, viewers will benefit from the BBC’s rich Olympic heritage and Discovery’s innovative approach to storytelling. Together, they will make the Olympic Games as accessible and engaging as possible.”

Barbara Slater, the director of BBC Sport, commented, “We are very pleased that the BBC will continue to bring free-to-air Olympic Games coverage to audiences through to 2024, extending our relationship with the event which began in 1928 and reinforcing the BBC’s long-term commitment to major sporting events. The Olympic Games is one of the nation’s most treasured sporting events and this is an extensive package of rights that ensures we can offer ‘the best of the Games’ across TV, radio, online and digital, maximizing the reach and impact of the BBC. This groundbreaking partnership also shows how the BBC can collaborate and work with others to continue to bring the very best in sport to licence fee payers.”

JB Perrette, the president of Discovery Networks International, added, “Since the announcement of our partnership with the IOC, it has been Discovery’s goal to engage and entertain local audiences in Europe with the ultimate Olympic Games experience across all screens. To realize this ambition, we will leverage our portfolio of pay-TV, free-to-air and digital services, and collaborate with the very best partners who share this vision—the BBC partnership embodies this perfectly.”

Dominic Coles, COO of Discovery Networks Northern Europe, remarked, “We are proud and excited to be announcing this groundbreaking sports partnership with the BBC today. Not only will the BBC be able to continue to play its historic role of uniting the U.K. in celebrating the sporting achievements of its Olympic heroes, but also Discovery, through Eurosport, will bring additional expert and comprehensive coverage to the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games. Greater exposure for U.K. Olympians only can be good news for the development of sport and the promotion of Olympic values in this country. Watch this space.”