Sony acquires 2020 Olympics broadcast rights in Indian subcontinent

Pay-television broadcaster Sony Pictures Networks has acquired rights in the Indian subcontinent to the 2020 Tokyo summer Olympic Games and the 2020 Lausanne winter Youth Olympic Games.

Under the agreement with the International Olympic Committee, Sony has acquired rights to both events across all media platforms, with the exception of the free-to-air rights in Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

In addition to the coverage on Sony’s digital platform, SonyLIV, the Olympic Channel and other IOC digital platforms will feature highlights and replays of key events to supplement SPN’s coverage of Tokyo 2020. This follows the successful broadcast of the PyeongChang 2018 winter Games on the Olympic Channel and other digital platforms, in what was a landmark move by the IOC.

In addition, the IOC and SPN will collaborate on creating a permanent Olympic Channel home within the SonyLIV service. Programming will feature year-round coverage of Olympic athletes and sports, highlighting locally-relevant original content produced by SPN and Olympic Channel.

The IOC has already awarded the free-to-air broadcast rights for Tokyo 2020 in Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, the union of free-to-air broadcasters in the region.