BBC loses control of the UK broadcast rights to the Olympics

[dutchman]

The BBC has lost control of the rights to the Olympics from 2022.

Discovery, which owns Eurosport, has signed a €1.3 billion (£920 million) Europe-wide deal for the Games.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said: "This agreement ensures comprehensive coverage of the Olympic Games across Europe, including the guarantee to provide extensive free-to-air television coverage in all territories.

"Discovery and Eurosport have also made an exciting commitment to partner with the IOC to develop the new Olympic Channel across Europe.

"Above all, this agreement ensures that sports fans in Europe will be able to enjoy excellent coverage of the Olympic Games and Olympic sports, both during and outside Games time, on their platform of choice."

The exclusive rights cover all platforms including free-to-air television, subscription/pay-TV television, internet and mobile phone in all languages across 50 countries and territories on the European continent.

A minimum of 200 hours of the Olympic Games and 100 hours of the Olympic Winter Games will be shown on free-to-air-television during the games.

Discovery acknowledged that "a portion of the rights" will be sub-licensed in many European markets.

The deal in fact covers the four summer and winter Olympic Games from 2018 to 2024, but in the UK and France the rights have already previously been awarded for the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea 2018 and Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan in 2020.

As part of UK law under the Broadcasting Act 1996 amended by the Television Broadcasting Regulations 2000 and the Communications Act 2003, the Olympic Games are "Listed" and must be shown on free-to-air TV.