Seven lands Olympic rights in Australia

Australian commercial broadcaster Seven has agreed a deal for the rights to the next three editions of the Olympic Games, according to multiple reports.

The summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020 are set to be broadcast on Seven, along with the 2018 winter Games in PyeongChang, Korea.

Australian newspaper the Daily Telegraph said the broadcaster had signed the deal with the International Olympic Committee. 

The Australian added that the IOC was hoping to generate about A$250m (€172.3m/$236m) for the free-to-air, pay-television and digital media rights, but a lack of competition tempered expectations. Seven’s contract is expected to be worth about A$200m.

Commercial broadcaster Nine and pay-television operator Foxtel jointly paid A$122m for the rights to the Vancouver 2010 winter Olympic and the 2012 London Games, while commercial broadcaster Ten covered this year’s winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Seven’s last Olympic Games broadcast following two decades as the home of the Games in Australia was the 2008 edition in Beijing.