The International Olympic Committee has selected SportFive to handle the lucrative European broadcast rights for the 2014 Winter Games and 2016 Summer Olympics. SportFive was granted rights for all media platforms including free and subscription television, Internet and mobile phones across 40 countries in Europe for the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia, and 2016 Olympics, whose host city will be selected in October. The agreement does not include broadcast rights in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Britain. The Olympic Committee already has deals with broadcasters in Italy and Turkey, and will begin direct negotiations in the other countries in due course. The IOC is hoping to raise at least US$1 billion in total European broadcast revenue, but that figure includes the big countries that are not covered in the SportFive contract. The partnership with SportFive replaces the IOC’s long-lasting rights deal with the European Broadcasting Union, an umbrella body of public broadcasters that had held Olympic rights for more than 50 years. The IOC rejected the EBU’s bid last year for the 2014-2016 rights, deciding to seek a better deal elsewhere. The EBU paid $443.4 million to show last year’s Beijing Olympics and $135 million for the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy. The EBU also bought rights for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and 2012 Summer Games in London for $746 million in 2004. The French broadcasting company had the exclusive rights of the 16th African Youth Championship, Rwanda 2009 held in Kigali last month. It also has the broadcasting rights of the MTN Africa Cup of Nations finals, the MTN CAF Champions League, the African Confederation Cup and the African Youth Championship until 2016. Ends
