The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has been awarded broadcast rights to the next two Olympic Games, weeks after Bell Media–rival private network and lead broadcaster for the current London Games–backed out of a partnership between the two.
In a release, the International Olympic Committee confirmed that CBC will bring to viewers the Winter Games from Sochi, Russia two years from now and during the Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Brazil.
Bell Media (then CTVglobemedia Inc.) paired with Rogers Communications to pay $153-million for rights to the 2010 event in Vancouver and the London Summer Games. But with an unprofitable Games in 2010 and London expected to again be a loser, Rogers backed out of the bidding for 2014 and 2016 last year, reports The Edmonton Journal.
Bell partnered with the CBC shortly after the consortium was ended. But with two separate bids rejected by the IOC, Bell said in June it was not proceeding with another offer.
The CBC has the longest running history with the Games among Canadian broadcasters, having aired it on 19 previous occasions, the last being the 2008 Games from Beijing. Bell, which has formed its new media unit around the CTV network which was bought last year, partnered with Rogers in 2005 to outbid the public broadcaster for the 2010 and 2012 Games, said the paper.
See The Edmonton Journal story here
