EBU says IOC rejects its 2014-16 Games TV rights bid
3/12/2008 17:50
The European Broadcasting Union said today the International Olympic
Committee had turned down its bid for the European broadcasting rights for the
2014-2016 Olympics.
Europe's public broadcasters union was the chosen
broadcast partner due to its members' extensive reach of audiences on the
continent.
"We very much regret the decision of the IOC. We have worked with
the IOC since 1956 to deliver the Olympic Games to the broadest possible
audience, and ensured maximum exposure of the Olympic Games," EBU President
Fritz Pleitgen said in a statement.
"We note that there are different views
about the future monetary broadcast value of the Games. EBU Members were
surprised by the high financial expectations of the IOC."
The EBU, the
largest association of national broadcasters in the world with 75 active
members, has already bought the rights for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games and
the 2012 London Olympics for more than US$700 million.
The 2014 Winter
Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia, while the host of the 2016 Summer Games
will be picked next year.
Xinhua
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