NBC had broadcast every Summer Olympics since 1988 and every Winter Games since 2002 and, according to reports from Switzerland, will continue to do so through 2020. With an official announcement from the International Olympic Commitee due soon, sources told the Associated Press that NBC's bid of $4.4 billion defeated those put forth by Fox Sports and ESPN. NBC now will have exclusive rights to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, as well as the 2018 Winter Games and 2020 Olympics, whose sites have not yet been chosen. It was the first U.S. rights auction since 2003, when NBC won the 2010 and 2012 Olympics in a deal worth $2.2 billion. NBC winning bid was the first made by the new Comcast management that recently assumed ownership of NBC Universal. Not part of the contingent was Dick Ebersol, the former NBC Sports chairman who … [Read more...]

Fox Sports made its official presentation to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Monday by offering to buy U.S. TV rights to the next four Games starting with the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. ESPN and NBC Sports are up next before the IOC with the winner of the bidding expected to be announced later Tuesday. In an email to The New York Times, David Hill, chairman of the Fox Sports Media Group, said, “Given the complexities of establishing an Olympic infrastructure, taking on four Games helps amortize the costs better than two, but we are submitting bids for two and four.” Of special interest Tuesday will be the presentation made by NBC, the first under the stewardship of the new Comcast management — and without longtime NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol. Ebersol's relationship with the Olympics dates back to the fateful Munich Games … [Read more...]