Multi-Sport

German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF are unlikely to change their position over free-to-air rights to the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games, despite being subjected to questions in parliament this month over their hard-line negotiating tactics.

The Infront Sports & Media agency has been working with advertising giant WPP to source sponsors for its free-to-air 2016 Olympics Games feed in sub-Saharan Africa, TV Sports Markets understands.

YLE will pay a 10-per-cent increase for media rights in Finland to the Olympic Games of 2018 and 2020, despite being unable to secure coverage of some of the most valuable events.

Sky New Zealand’s renewal of Olympic Games rights last month is the latest in a string of long-term deals agreed by the International Olympic Committee.

A difficult time zone explains the much-reduced fee the BBC will pay for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, being hosted on Australia’s Gold Coast.

Discovery Communications this week recouped more than 10 per cent of its €1.3bn ($1.4bn) investment in Olympic Games rights across Europe by striking a sublicensing deal with the BBC.

The European Broadcasting Union’s chances of winning the rights to the Olympic Games from 2018 to 2024 were undermined by two internal splits, TV Sports Markets understands.

Fox’s deal to sublicense rights to the 2016 Olympic Games in Turkey to the Saran Media agency marks the end of its failed experiment with sport in the Turkish market.

Another public-service broadcasting union lost its grip on Olympic Games rights following deals signed by the International Olympic Committee late last month.

France Télévisions last week sublicensed rights to the summer Olympic Games of 2016 and 2020, recouping a decent portion of its investment.