BBC loses Olympic TV rights to Discovery

The BBC has lost the rights to the 2022 Olympic Games to US broadcasting giant Discovery following an exclusive pan-European deal worth $1.45 billion (£920 million).

The Corporation has televised the Games since 1948; however, the deal will see Discovery’s Eurosport become the new home of the Summer and Winter Games between 2018 and 2024.

Discovery chief executive, David Zaslav, told the Guardian that it would negotiate with the BBC and other broadcasters in the UK, France and Germany over potentially sub-licensing some of the rights.

“Part of our approach will be to strive to work with some of the best Olympic broadcast players,” he said. “The BBC will have the chance to sub-licence some of the rights. We’ll open up those discussions in every market.

“We want to give them the opportunity to sub-licence. In some markets we will run free to air, pay TV and all devices and in others we’ll partner with others.”

Discovery’s acquisition of the exclusive rights will see the Games broadcast across 50 countries and most territories on the European continent, reaching an estimated 700 million people.

The loss will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to the BBC as it undergoes huge structural changes and its future remains uncertain.

Speaking early last year, director general Tony Hall said that “tough choices” would have to be made as the Corporation looks to save £100 million a year, resulting in the axing of BBC Three as a television channel and raising serious questions over the licence fee.

The 2012 Olympic closing ceremony drew in a peak audience of 26 million viewers, resulting in a huge 81% audience share for BBC One.