BBC Wins Olympic Games Rights Through 2020

LAUSANNE/LONDON: In a deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the BBC has picked up the U.K. broadcasting rights to the 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games.

The pubcaster has secured the rights across all platforms, including online and mobile. "It’s terrific news in the days before BBC Sport begins to cover the London 2012 Games and a tribute to the enduring partnership between the BBC and the Olympic Movement," said Mark Thompson, the director general of the BBC.

IOC’s president, Jacques Rogge, said of the deal: "As the host of the London 2012 Olympic Games and the birthplace of many Olympic sports, the U.K. is a very important nation for the Olympic Movement. The BBC is a world-renowned media organization with which we are proud to have worked for many decades, including for the upcoming Olympic Games. We are delighted that the BBC will continue as our partner beyond London 2012, providing fantastic free coverage of the Olympic Games to the widest possible audience in the U.K. across a variety of media platforms."

Thomas Bach, the VP of the IOC, added, "The BBC consistently does an excellent job of broadcasting the Olympic Games, so this long-term agreement is very good news for sports fans in the U.K. From a commercial perspective, we adapted our traditional broadcast rights approach in Europe for the 2014-2016 cycle and beyond, and have negotiated several key European territories directly. This announcement is significant as it completes the IOC’s direct negotiations for the 2014-2016 period in Europe."

Dominic Coles, the COO for the 2012 Olympics at the BBC, added, "It’s vital that big national and international events like the Olympic Games remain free-to-air where they can be watched by the greatest number of people. We’re delighted to continue our longstanding partnership with the Olympics and the IOC, adding to BBC Sport’s outstanding rights portfolio and firmly establishing the BBC as the home of major sporting events that unite the nation and this deal demonstrates that BBC Sport remains a force in sports broadcasting."

BBC first broadcast the Summer Olympics in 1948 and has aired them consistently since the 1960 Games in Rome.