Pan-Nordic media company Modern Times Group’s Viasat pay-television channels will retain exclusive rights in Sweden for the 2014 winter Olympic Games after public-service broadcaster SVT and commercial and pay-television broadcaster TV4 failed to agree sub-licensing deals for the event in Sochi, Russia.
TheLocal.se website said that TV4 had offered a “seven-figure sum” in line with what it usually pays SVT for Olympic media rights, but this was rejected by MTG.
Per Yng, head of sport for SVT, said: “It's true, we have no agreement with MTG. MTG has decided to broadcast everything themselves.”
SVT, often in association with TV4, has broadcast the Olympic Games in Sweden for the past 60 years.
In June 2011, MTG acquired rights to the Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Sweden.