The International Olympic Committee has confirmed the Olympic Channel will launch on August 21, following the closing ceremony of the 2016 summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The channel, which will feature live sports broadcasts, highlights, programming, news updates and archive Olympic footage, will be available as a mobile application around the world on Android and iOS devices. It will also be accessible online via olympicchannel.com.
The IOC has also set up dedicated Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube accounts for the channel.
Last month the IOC confirmed that the governing bodies of aquatics, archery, badminton, basketball, bobsleigh and skeleton, boxing, canoeing, curling, equestrian sports, fencing, golf, gymnastics, hockey, ice hockey, judo, modern pentathlon, rowing, rugby union, sailing, shooting, skiing, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling would collaborate on content for the channel.
Notable exceptions included the IAAF, athletics’ global governing body, and the world governing body of football, Fifa.
Olympic Channel Services will operate the free channel, which will feature both short-form and long-form content. It will initially be offered in English, with subtitles provided in nine different languages.
The IOC said the channel is designed to engage young people, fans and new audiences in the Olympic Movement. On-demand services will also be incorporated into the channel, while fans will be able to follow specific teams, sports, athletes and countries to receive a personalised experience.
The IOC will seek to develop localised versions of the Olympic Channel through partnerships with Olympic stakeholders, broadcast rights-holders and National Olympic Committees once the Rio Games are over.