Comcast’s NBC division has extended its TV rights to the Olympics until 2036 in a A$4.77 billion deal.
The deal delivers media rights on all platforms in the US, but also includes what the International Olympics Committee (IOC) has said are “new, innovative joint strategic initiatives and projects.”
The broadcaster will help the IOC by providing technology that supports coverage of the games and working together on digital advertising.
Comcast’s current arrangement was scheduled to run from 2021 to 2032 and was valued at A$12.17 billion.
The extended deal would now cover the Salt Lake City Games in 2034 and the yet-to-be-decided location for the Summer Olympics in 2036.
In 2023, Nine Entertainment paid $305 million for the exclusive rights to the next five Olympic Games, from Paris in 2024 until Brisbane in 2032.
Nine owns the Nine Network, streaming service Stan, radio stations 2GB and 3AW, and news publications including The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian Financial Review.
Nine reportedly allocated $77.3 million in working capital for the Paris 2024 Olympics and flew more than 200 people to France to cover the event, which generated 5000 hours of content.
The games delivered more than $140 million in advertising, plus $20 million in subscription fees.
At the time that Nine secured the multi-year deal with the IOC for rights to the Olympics, IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Australia is a great sporting nation with a long Olympic history which will be taken to new heights with the hosting of the Olympic Games Brisbane 2032. Our new partnership with Nine will ensure Olympic fans across Australia have unparalleled coverage of the Olympic Games on their platform of choice.”
