The British Broadcasting Company, or BBC, has been granted the right to all winter and summer Olympic Games in the United Kingdom through 2020, the IOC announced today. That includes rights to television, internet, and mobile platforms.
As compared to the American rights-holders for the same period, NBC, this is significant as the advertising-free BBC is funded by a tax of 145.50 pounds from each television-owning household. As compared to rivals, like the Sky TV network, the BBC faces big political pressures that has resulted in slashed budgets since 2008.
Details of the agreement were not revealed, but about a year ago, NBC won the same deal in the US for $4.3 Billion. Similarly to NBC when their agreement was struck, BBC is going through a large change of leadership, as George Entwistle has been named the successor to long-time chief Mark Thompson.
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Have to agree Eurosport’s the best!
Can’t really decide between the Beeb or NBC as the worst, they’re both pretty one sided…
I concur!
Eurosports is among the best, Star sports is also really great.
True. The commentators Moorhouse and Jameson are appalling. No exaggeration to say every alternate sentence has a mistake at times. Mispronounced names, wrong strokes said, looking at the wrong lane, not noticing leaders, saying 200m instead of 400m, minutes instead of seconds, lopping minutes or seconds off times that are on the screen, figures the wrong way around, etc. I’ve got them all on tape – I’m not making it up! Lots of smug references to their past achievements as often as possible too. The only consolation is that the BBC will show all long races instead of interspersing with commercials like your NBC!
Good deal for bbc
BBC is supported by a tax on EVERY tv in your home yearly, and more if its colour or black and white, HD etc.