Australian commercial broadcaster Network Ten confirmed today (Tuesday) that it had acquired domestic rights to the 2014 winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
The agreement with the International Olympic Committee covers rights across all platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription television, internet and mobile phone.
Reports on Monday said that Ten had agreed to pay about A$20 million (€15.7 million/$20.5 million) for the rights.
Ten Network Holdings chief executive and managing director, Hamish McLennan, said: “The agreement with the IOC delivers on our strategy to increase our investment in premium sport.”
The Australian rights to the next summer Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 are still available, and the Australian newspaper said that Ten may seek to acquire these at a later stage.
The IOC initially tried to sell the Sochi 2014 rights as a package with the 2016 summer Olympics. The IOC was said to be seeking A$120 million for the rights to both Games – the same figure that commercial broadcaster Nine and pay-television broadcaster Foxtel paid for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics.