IOC could delay US media rights sale 18/01/2010 |
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) could delay the sale of the US media rights for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics because of the recession.
The IOC had planned to conduct the bidding process this spring following what it believes will be strong US ratings for the Vancouver Winter Games.
But with broadcasters hit by a struggling advertising market, Richard Carrion – a member of the IOC’s executive board – has said that a delay is now a serious possibility.
“There is sufficient instability in the market that we may wait a bit,” he told the Wall Street Journal. “We can wait until things settle down.”
Carrion’s comments come just days after Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, said his company will lose money on next month’s Winter Games. He blamed the high amount – $2.2bn – that it paid for the rights to show the 2010 and 2012 Games.
Media experts saw Ebersol’s admission as a signal to the IOC to lower their expectations for the 2014 and 2016 bidding.
But Carrion said he was still confident the US rights fees would ultimately increase for 2014 and 2016, as they already have in Brazil and the Middle East, if the IOC can time its sale correctly.
“There is a lot of fluidity but that is why we may want to hold back,” he added.
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