Eurosport has secured the broadcasting rights to Formula E in Germany, adding to its deals with seven other EU countries, while the UK rights have been awarded to ITV for the second season.

Eurosport now holds the exclusive TV and digital rights to the FIA Formula E Championship for the next two seasons in Germany, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, as well as Iceland on a non-exclusive basis.

“Following the success of the inaugural season we want to ensure audiences can continue to watch and engage with the series,” said Ali Russell, Director of Media and Strategic Partnerships. 

“This latest agreement reinforces our outreach across key target markets in Europe alongside other existing deals.”

Under the deal, all 11 rounds of the 2015-2016 FIA Formula E Championship will be televised live and free-to-air on Eurosport in Germany.

The win adds a fast-growing event property to Eurosport’s growing portfolio. 

“Motorsport is one of Eurosport’s pillars, with the channel broadcasting major events including MotoGP, FIA WTCC, Le Mans 24 Hours and the World Superbike Championship,” said Peter Hutton, Chief Executive Officer, Eurosport. 

“Securing the rights to Formula E further bolsters the channel’s portfolio with a unique brand of racing. It supports our strategy to bring must-have content to local viewers whilst reaching a wider audience.”

In the UK, Formula E has extended its live and free-to-air broadcast deal with ITV.

"We are delighted to renew our Formula E deal for next year,” said Niall Sloane, Director of Sport at ITV. 

“The sport is building significantly on a thrilling first year and we look forward to bringing this fresh, innovative and futuristic series to our viewers on ITV and ITV4."

The second Formula E season kicks off in Beijing on 24 October.

Eurosport has secured the renewal of the exclusive digital and TV rights for the Australian Open, ensuring the Australian Open remains on Eurosport across more than 50 European markets until 2021.

The renewed partnership with Tennis Australia, which begins from 2017, also includes new additional exclusive live rights to two Australian Open warm-up ATP tournaments, the World Tennis Challenge along with rights to the Hopman Cup. 

”The Australian Open is much more than just the first Grand Slam of the year,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said. 

“It marks the start of the global annual sporting calendar through four weeks of world class events during Australia’s summer of tennis. As such, we are delighted to have taken our relationship with Eurosport and the Discovery Group to a new level.”

“Fans will now be able to follow in one place the exciting journey we take every year – from Brisbane and Perth, Sydney to Adelaide and culminating in Melbourne at the Australian Open. 

Eurosport will broadcast 300 hours of live coverage on Eurosport’s TV channels and, for the first time, live online coverage of available matches from each event as produced by Tennis Australia.

“As viewing habits consolidate through multiple screens, compelling engagement through online platforms is at the heart of this new deal,” said Tilley.

“We’ll deliver fans more and better content than ever before, both on and off the court, when and where they want it.” 

All Australian Open matches in 2016 will be available live on Eurosport Player, the online broadcast platform that achieved record-breaking viewing figures for the French Open and the US Open.

Peter Hutton, Chief Executive Officer, Eurosport said: “The Australian Open is a lynchpin in Eurosport’s extensive portfolio of leading tennis properties and has been so for over 20 years. 

“Eurosport is dedicated to securing exclusive must-have sports and also building and amplifying key existing partnerships, as we are doing with Tennis Australia by securing additional live rights that give the channel a whole month of exclusive top class tennis. 

“This helps Eurosport tell a compelling story and, along with planned enhancements in our on-site production, will result in an exciting viewing experience for tennis fans across the continent.”

In a historic deal valued at EUR 1.3bn, Discovery, the owner of Eurosport, has been awarded the rights to broadcast the Olympic Games from 2018 to 2024 across all media platforms in all European countries, excluding Russia.

The rights, which were issued after a competitive tender process, extend to the development of the IOC’s planned Olympic TV Channel.

“This is a historic partnership, innovative and ground-breaking on a number of fronts,” David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery Communications told journalists in a press conference. 

“We can reach more than 700m people across Europe. This agreement will bring the Olympic Games to more viewers on more screens than ever before.” 

According to IOC President Thomas Bach, a major deal-breaker was the broadcaster’s ability to reach young people via digital platforms.

“It is the first time one single media company has acquired all the rights across Europe,” said president Bach.

“This agreement concerns all the different platforms, so Discovery is the real gatekeeper for all these rights.

“This agreement allows us, in a very special and particular way, to address youth on the platforms they use. We can reach out to them directly through these platforms. 

“It will go from the telephones, over digital channels and many more. This is what made it very attractive for the IOC.”

Discovery is confident it will recoup the heavy price tag over time.

“This investment is consistent with our prudent approach to investing in content,” said Zaslav. 

“The EUR 1.3bn purchase price, to be phased in over time, will include the rights to four Olympic Games across all platforms, including the Olympic archives, and aligns with our strategy of acquiring world class IP to the Discovery Company.  

“And over the term of the contract, we expect the Olympic Games to be cash flow positive.”

The deal gives Discovery the exclusive rights to broadcast the most popular entertainment property in the world.

“There is no more exciting property than the Olympic Games,” said Zaslav. 

“The live, must-have and universal appeal of the Olympic Games make it unique and singular as a programming event. 

“The global reach, the fan engagement, the thrilling stories, the volume of content, the integrity of the brand – there is no rival in sheer global or mass appeal.

“Our ability to develop and follow the same characters and athletes all year, combined with access and rights to the Olympic archives, makes possible for the first time a programming strategy that can burn the Olympic flame with stories and content 365 days a year.”

The agreement includes cooperation on the IOC’s Olympic Channel, which is planned as part of the IOC’s “Olympic Agenda 2020” process of reform. 

“We are very happy that as part of the agreement we will cooperate with regard to the Olympic channel, which will be another tool to reach out to youth and to keep the awareness about Olympic sport and the Olympic values high throughout the year,” said Bach.

A launch date has not yet been set for the Olympic Channel. Timo Lumme, Managing Director, IOC Television and Marketing Services said, “This is not about speed, it is about quality and therefore we have not given a deadline for the start of the Olympic Channel.

“But today, this another milestone in the development of the Olympic channel, because with this agreement we can look forward to having the Olympic channel extended to other platforms and having a roll-out to ensure the whole continent.”

Eurosport already has agreements in place with many Olympic sports federations.

“As we look at the assets that we have, we have a real advantage as we sit down with the IOC to build the Olympic Channel,” said Zaslav.

“Almost half of what’s on Eurosport are Olympic sports that we have rights to for the next several years already.”

The agreement requires Discovery to broadcasting a minimum of 200 hours of the Olympic Games and 100 hours of the Olympic Winter Games on free-to-air television during the Games period, but it will sub-license a portion of the rights in many markets across Europe. 

“The flexibility to sublicense rights across territories will open up strategic partnership opportunities with a wide range of broadcasters and distributors on how best to exploit these and bring more coverage to more people on more platforms throughout the European continent,” said Zaslav.

This aspect of the deal is somewhat controversial as it introduces a middleman between the IOC and domestic broadcasters, who are seen to have played a crucial role in extending the reach of the Olympic Games.

“Of course they [European national broadcasters] have played a significant role in spreading and broadcasting the Games,” said Bach. 

“But Eurosport has also contributed to this in the past, so it is not the public broadcasters alone.”

The domestic broadcasters in Great Britain and France will retain the rights they have already been allocated to broadcast the 2018 and 2020 Games. 

“In Great Britain, you have the situation that the BBC has the rights for 2020 so there is ample time before 2022 and 2024 to have discussions with Discovery about their cooperation,” said Bach. 

“So this is not excluding anybody, but it is showing a new and broader approach to Olympic broadcasting by incorporating the Olympic Channel in a very intelligent and effective way and by offering the great experience of Discovery and Eurosport to work on their multiple platforms.”

Juan Antonio Samaranch, IOC Executive Board Member and delegate IOC Member for European broadcast rights said: “Discovery and Eurosport will ensure the exposure of the Olympic Games through their own TV channels and media platforms, and, where relevant, by reaching sublicensing partnerships with other broadcasters in the various territories.”

The IOC’s new approach to issuing broadcasting rights in Europe will reduce free-to-air obligations to a minimum, according to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

The IOC on Tuesday sold the broadcasting rights for the Olympic Games from 2018 to 2024 to Eurosport, through a competitive tendering process in which the EBU also bid.

“The EBU submitted a serious bid for the European television rights for the Olympic Games on behalf of its Members which reflected the free-to-air value of future events taking place mainly in the Asia Pacific region and thus in less attractive time zones,” the EBU said in a statement sent to HOST CITY.

“We understand that Discovery, together with Eurosport submitted a successful proposal to the IOC shaped by their strategic objective to newly position themselves in Europe. 

“This development illustrates the shift in the IOC’s previous positioning of the Olympic Games as a free-to-air event that reached all of the European television audience – to a pay and other platforms event with minimum free-to-air obligations. 

“Nevertheless, we congratulate Discovery/Eurosport on its successful bid – particularly as Eurosport was initially established within the membership of the EBU.”

Under the agreement, Eurosport is committed to providing 200 hours of the Summer Olympic Games and 100 hours of Winter Olympic Games to free-to-air broadcasters.

“We are indeed concerned for audiences in our Members' countries not getting full access to all the Olympic sports at the Games, but we understand the 200 hours that must be free-to-air is the minimum set by the IOC,” an EBU spokesperson told HOST CITY. 

National broadcasters will have to buy additional broadcasting rights to the Olympic Games from Eurosport.

The EBU, with 73 members in 56 countries, describes itself as the world’s most influential broadcasting union that negotiates on behalf of and advocates for the interests of public broadcasters across Europe and beyond.

Japanese media giant Dentsu has been awarded the exclusive broadcasting rights for the Olympic Games from 2018 to and 2024 in 22 Asian countries. 

World leading advertising agency Dentsu was the Asian broadcast partner for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games and is the broadcast partner in the region for the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

The agreement means Dentsu will continue to distribute broadcast rights in Afghanistan Brunei, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, East Timor, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

In a statement, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) described Dentsu as the “exclusive gatekeeper for broadcast rights” in all languages and all media platforms, including television, radio and the Internet. 

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “This agreement ensures Olympic broadcast coverage for fans across the region, including on free-to-air television. Having begun our broadcast relationship with Dentsu at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014, I am pleased we will continue through to 2024.”

The deal also encompasses Youth Olympic Games.

Kiyoshi Nakamura, Executive Officer of Dentsu said: "Following the acquisition of the broadcast rights for the 2014 and 2016 Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, we are delighted to strengthen the ongoing relationship between the IOC and Dentsu through the distribution of the broadcast and exhibition rights for all the Olympic Games until 2024. We are dedicated to contributing to the long-term development of the Olympic Movement and to deliver the excitement of the Olympics to the fans in these Asian countries and territories.”

IOC Vice-President Zaiqing Yu, Delegate IOC Member for Broadcast Rights in Asia, said: “Dentsu has a good understanding of the region’s commercial and broadcast environment, and their expertise and insight will help the Olympic Movement develop its presence and ensure excellent Olympic broadcast coverage of future Games.”

The agreement follows the IOC’s recent awarding of 2018-2024 broadcast rights to Eurosport in Europe and beIN in the Middle East. 

HOST CITY: Rights holders, hosts and organizers of mega sports events have a number of requirements and expectations about the structure and content of opening and closing ceremonies. How do you balance these requirements, and how do you avoid ceremonies becoming formulaic?

Antonio Abete: Producing a sports event requires commitment, experience, creativity and managing skills. This is why the best companies in the world take the field when it’s time to organise these important ceremonies. Expectations are always high: sports ceremonies are among the most watched television events in the world. 

On average, more than 4 billion people watch Olympic ceremonies. These events are in charge of telling the story of the country, showing its traditions, celebrating its future. They must meet technical demands as well as the emotional needs of the television audience and live viewers. Finding the right balance it is not simple; for this reason, long experiences together with the will to experiment with creativity are essential. 

It is difficult to work in a stadium: there are a lot of limits, such as the field of play, which is untouchable. You need to be creative if you want to avoid banality and keep the viewers attention high. You have to think outside the box and interchange charged-up moments with poetic ones. The viewers will be able to feel a wide range of emotions thanks to the successions of performances. 

HOST CITY: How important for the host city are the opportunities that mega sports events present for hosting other concurrent events, such as cultural festivals and business events, and how can a host city maximise these opportunities? 

Antonio Abete: The host city has got a great opportunity to highlight and promote its heritage through the world. It is essential that the city works as the leader of the event and creates an appropriate structure for all the accessory events. The city should be the protagonist in order to allow the public to discover the resources of its land. During these events, sport is linked with social issues, politics, culture and the future of the society that it is representing. Host cities must be able to handle all these different aspects and adopt a long-term strategy to make the shows more successful. 

HOST CITY: How do you see event production changing in 2015 and beyond?

Antonio Abete: There are no specific trends or determined directions. We are a leading player in event history, and we are aware of what we offer and what we can produce. 

The events industry is influenced by trends, like every industry, mostly because of new technologies, which are now essential while creating and producing every kind of event. We have been the first one to try new strategies, find innovative instruments and changing the rules. We are one of the few companies in the world, and the only Italian company, to be licensed to organise Olympic Ceremonies. This makes us proud and encourages us in improving our services and our skills more and more. 

IOC president Thomas Bach has responded to SportAccord president Marius Vizer’s attack by dismissing his views as personal and not representative of Olympic sports federations.

President Bach also said consultation with SportAccord on matters concerning the Olympic Games was not necessary, as the IOC collaborates closely with Olympic sports federations directly.

“Mr Vizer: thank you very much for your open words which you have been expressing here,” Bach said, addressing SportAccord Convention after Vizer’s confrontational opening speech. 

“Also I have to say that following the many discussions I had with many of your colleagues, be it the Olympic summer federations, be it the Olympic winter federations, be it the IOC recognized federations, and the many contributions they made to the discussions on Olympic Agenda 2020, my impression is a little bit that the opinion you have is exclusively yours. Because these people have made constructive proposals which has resulted in even closer collaboration between the IOC and international federations.”

Bach said: “When you say that the IOC and SportAccord have to cooperate in order to have a new model for the Olympic Games, for the organisation and for the generation and distribution of the money then I have to say very clearly, “No.” For different reasons. 

“First of all our partners are the Olympic Federations. They are doing the effort. And whenever we have an issue with them, whenever there are ideas we are discussing with them. 

“And the same applies to the recognized federations. Whenever a recognized federation has an idea, they know very well that the doors in Lausanne are open and that they are enjoying our support in many ways. And if there are issues that are common to the recognized federations then we speak to the president of the IOC recognized federations. They are recognized by the IOC as are the National Olympic Committees, which are our direct partners.”

SportAccord is the umbrella group for both Olympic and non-Olympic sports federations.

“We prefer to address all the issues in a direct open dialogue as stipulated by Olympic Agenda 2020 and as is being practiced inside the IOC where we are openly discussing and preparing all the discussions and decisions with the representatives of the international federations,” said Bach. 

“There the international federations have two seats in the IOC Executive Board and whenever you have a question, because you said you were surprised by some of the decisions, I can only offer that you speak with the representatives of the international federations in the IOC Executive Board and they can fully inform you and advise you what is going on. 

“And then you will learn that in the IOC there is an open dialogue, not only among the Members of the IOC EB but we also have as some of you may remember open discussions in the IOC Session in the presence of everybody.”

In his speech, Vizer had accused the IOC of a lack of transparency. 

“It was about one year ago here in Sochi when we had such a Session where all the questions by all the stakeholders were openly discussed,” said Bach. “Afterwards many of you contributed to this Olympic Agenda 2020. We received around 40,000 submissions and I thank you all for these contributions. 

“In fact nobody who wanted to listen, and nobody who wanted to hear, and nobody who wanted to understand, and nobody who wanted to have some sort of good will, could have missed this discussion and could be surprised by any of the decisions we are taking, including the Olympic channel, which was mentioned here.”

Vizer also said the launch of the Olympic TV channel had not been developed in a transparent manner. 

“About the Olympic channel, you could have already read about it in my brochure for campaigning to become IOC President about two and a half years ago,” Bach responded. 

“This is not to mention the first time I proposed it was back in 1994, but for this you are way too young to have followed, this is only for elderly people like me to have some nostalgic feeling to come back to this. 

“And this Olympic channel is an offer to you and has been discussed again with the international federations and has been discussed with the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) who play an extremely important role.”

The IFs, NOCs and national federations cannot be considered in isolation, Bach said. 

“It is just not right to create a discrepancy between the Olympic Movement, the NOCs and the National Federations. Because they are your members, they are your constituents and at the same time they are the constituents of the NOCs.”

Like all the international federations, SportAccord is recognized by the IOC. 

“As an IOC recognized federation you are a full member of this Olympic Movement and you have of course access to the Olympic channel,” said Bach. 

“This is why are offering you workshops here for you to discuss how this can be done in the very best way and how you can really tap this great potential and how you can ensure that your sport and athletes are enjoying worldwide presence through this channel and how in this way you can grow your sport and make it more popular.  And you can promote the values we all share.”

Bach raised further points in his speech, which ran on for longer than the five minutes he had been allocated. 

“I was invited to give a five-minute welcome speech but I’ve been a little bit longer as I had a lot to tell you after this friendly welcome I enjoyed here.”

Addressing the audience primarily made up of international sports federations, he said “Our doors are open to each and every one of you. We are making this offer of cooperation and support to each and every one of you. I thank you for having taken it already in the last one year and a half and having contributed to this effort of open dialogue and concerted action within the sport movement.”

Five more European broadcasters have signed contracts with the Baku European Games Operations Committee (BEGOC). 

The new deals, with public broadcasters RTVE (Spain), ERR (Estonia), LTV (Latvia), RTV Slovenija (Slovenia), and subscription-based Sport TV (Portugal), mean that the first European Games will be broadcast in at least 47 countries. 

More than one billion viewers worldwide will now be able to watch Baku 2015 on television.

“It is important that as many people as possible are able to share in the inaugural edition of the European Games this summer,” said Simon Clegg, chief operating officer of Baku 2015.

“With 130 days to go until the Opening Ceremony, these new deals are a great step in achieving that aim.”

The contracts include daily coverage commitments or a minimum number of sport competition hours to be screened during the Games. 

Spain’s RTVE will screen the opening and closing ceremonies live, as well as providing extended competition coverage throughout the Games. 

The network will also air a series of ‘Road to Baku’ programmes focusing on preparations for Baku 2015, while Sport TV will cover the Games on a dedicated 24-hour channel to be broadcast in their home market of Portugal, as well as in Mozambique and Angola.

RTV Slovenija, Latvia’s LTV and Estonia’s ERR have also committed to extensive coverage of the Games. 

“These agreements will bring the inaugural European Games to tens of millions of viewers across Europe and beyond,” said Charlie Wijeratna, commercial director of Baku 2015.

“All of these broadcasters are Olympic rights holders for Rio 2016, and bring with them a wealth of experience in broadcasting major sports events.

“A key part of Baku 2015’s commercial offering has been our ability to secure broadcast agreements, and I’m delighted that we’re continuing to deliver on this objective. This announcement shows that we are continuing to raise the profile of the event across the continent.”

Baku 2015 will take place from 12 – 28 June 2015, featuring 16 Olympic sports and four non-Olympic sports. More than 6,000 athletes from across Europe will be representing their nations over 17 days of competition.

Eleven of the sports will offer qualification opportunities for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Those sports include Archery, Athletics, Boxing, Cycling, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Triathlon, Volleyball and Wrestling.

The BEGOC will organise and run the Games in cooperation with the European Olympic Committees (EOC), who awarded Baku the Games in December 2012.

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has chosen Host Broadcast Services (HBS) to serve as host broadcaster of the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, which will be held in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines from 18 to 22 February. 

For the first time in the event’s history, its production will feature live onboard cameras. 

HBS will operate more than 13 cameras at the event with a team of 72 staff. HBS has appointed Euro Media France to provide the technical platform.

The HDTV signal will be provided to broadcasters worldwide. The UCI and its exclusive media rights partner Infront Sports & Media have distributed the rights to more than 100 countries and territories. Over 300 media representatives are accredited onsite.

For the first time ever at a UCI Track Cycling World Championships, miniaturised cameras installed on the bicycles’ saddle tubes will transmit live images of the race to viewers worldwide, as well as to the Velodrome’s giant screen.

“The team and I are all delighted to be part of the 2015 Championships and excited by the enthusiasm and innovations HBS and the UCI have brought to the sport,” said Steve Docherty, event director at HBS. “It’s always a thrill to be able to do something unprecedented.”

The live on-board cameras will be used in various events over the five days of the competition. The cameras will be installed on competition bikes, feeding live images to the production truck located just outside the venue.

Radio frequency (RF) transmission experts Broadcast RF will supply the cameras, transmitters, specialised operators and bring their technical partner VideoSys Broadcast. 

Following initial research and development focused on making the camera and RF transmitter as safe, compact and light as possible, HBS organised a number of tests served to establish the project’s viability. 

The French National Team participated in the first of these tests, with a second one taking place at the UCI’s headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland. The combined weight of the camera and transmitter has been reduced from 300 grams to just 199 grams.

“The live on-board camera is the angle that has been missing from track cycling coverage, and it’s one that will delight both the hardcore fans and viewers new to the sport,” says HBS’ director or production Dan Miodownik.

“Getting to this point requires significant technical integration, but with the expertise from our technical partner Broadcast RF and the commitment and vision from UCI, we are ready to bring something completely new to track cycling coverage.”

HBS provided broadcast consultancy and on-site support for the last two editions of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships, in Minsk, Belarus and Cali, Colombia. 

A fully owned subsidiary of Infront Sports & Media, HBS works on many other events and has been host broadcaster of FIFA World Cup since 2002.

Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) Television has secured exclusive rights to broadcasting the Baku 2015 European Games in Japan. 

The 17-day coverage will include the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as highlights packages across all of their domestic platforms.

“This is the first deal we have announced with an Asian broadcaster and represents a significant step in achieving our aim of ensuring the inaugural European Games is broadcast in all five continents around the world,” said Charlie Wijeratna, Commercial Director of Baku 2015.

The agreement follows on from recently announced deals with the Arab States Broadcasting Union, which will see the European Games broadcast in 20 countries across the Middle East and North Africa, and L’Equipe 21 which will show the event throughout France.

“The Baku 2015 European Games will be an historic event and we are proud to begin what we are sure will develop into a long and fruitful partnership,” said Masamichi Amano, Executive Vice President of TBS Sports. 

“We look forward to presenting the inaugural European Games to our viewers across Japan and also introducing all that Baku has to offer the world.”

TBS, a free-to-air commercial broadcaster, has exclusive rights to the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Japan and is part of a consortium of Japanese broadcasters that covers the Olympic and Olympic Winter Games, the FIFA World Cup and the Asian Games. 

The broadcaster also has rights to The Masters, The PGA Championship, Major League Baseball and the FIVB World Volleyball Championships in Japan.

Simon Clegg, Chief Operating Officer of Baku 2015, said: “We are delighted to have confirmed this deal with TBS Television to ensure the European Games will receive exposure in the Japanese market.

“As a keen sporting nation, we are sure there will be significant interest in Baku 2015 so it is extremely pleasing to know fans will be able to tune in to the best of all the action.”