Czech broadcaster extends IAAF Worlds rights deal

Ceske Televize, the Czech Republic public-service broadcaster, has extended a rights deal for the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships.

The deal will cover the four editions of the Championships through to 2023.

Ceske Televize is currently showing live coverage of the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London. The 2019 edition will take place in Doha, Qatar, with the 2021 championships taking place in Portland, US. The host of the 2023 event has not been decided yet.

Ceske Televize is a member of the European Broadcasting Union, which sealed a distribution extension with the IAAF covering the next three editions of the championships earlier this month. Under the deal agreed between the EBU and the IAAF, the union agreed to lead the sale of free-to-air television rights to members in various countries for the World Championships, World Indoor Championships, as well as more than a dozen competitions in the World Athletics Series.

In addition to agreeing the rights deal with the EBU, Ceske Televize director Petr Dvořák said that Ceske Televize took part in the EBU’s discussions with the IAAF.