IOC presidential candidate Bach wants Olympic TV channel

International Olympic Committee presidential candidate Thomas Bach has confirmed that he would like to launch a global Olympic TV channel should he be elected.

Ahead of presidential elections on September 10, Bach said the channel would help engage young people outside the Games period.

The IOC vice-president said: “In the future we need to explore options for a greater TV presence for Olympic sports and its values during the periods between Olympic Games and, as a vision, we should discuss the creation of an Olympic TV channel.

“This is a real vision and would require a lot of discussion and effort, but I definitely think this is worthwhile doing. We already have an Olympic TV production company [Olympic Broadcasting Services]. Both on the production side and the broadcast side, many Olympic sports do not appear enough on TV across the world.

“It is not a question of money, it is a question of addressing the youth…[we need to] discuss with our TV partners and international federations how we can get more Olympic sports on screen in the period between Olympic Games.”