The future of Olympics coverage on the BBC is uncertain after Eurosport and parent company Discovery secured a 1.3 billion euro (£920 million) rights deal for the Games.
The BBC has covered the Olympics since 1960 but the decision by the International Olympic Committee to sell to Eurosport means the broadcaster will lose control of coverage from 2022.
The BBC had 2,500 hours of live coverage from the London 2012 Games and 650 hours from the Sochi winter Olympics last year but those days are numbered. There are similar arrangements with other broadcasters around Europe such as RTE in Ireland.
Eurosport has committed to broadcasting only 200 hours of summer Olympics and 100 hours of winter Games on free-to-air television and says in many territories it will sub-license rights back to a terrestrial broadcaster – possibly but not necessarily the BBC.
Under current legislation, the Olympics is a ‘Listed event’ and has to be on free-to-air TV but that does not include the increasingly important digital or mobile coverage. It might be that Eurosport sub-licenses some coverage to the BBC, ITV or Channel Four but keeps all the other media rights for itself – and it does have Freeview channels itself.
The BBC said it would seek talks with Discovery about acquiring the free-to-air rights.
A BBC statement said: “The Olympic Games remains a priority for the BBC and we have already secured the TV, radio and online rights to the next three Olympic Games – 2016, 2018 and 2020. More than 90 per cent of the UK population watched the BBC’s coverage of London 2012 and it remains one of the most popular free-to-air sporting events for UK viewers.
“It is not unprecedented for sports rights to be sold on a pan-territory basis and the BBC has acquired other sports rights via sub-licensing deals with either agencies or broadcasters. We will be seeking further discussions with Discovery about the UK free-to-air rights to the 2022 and 2024 Olympic Games in due course.”
IOC president Thomas Bach said there was “ample time” for the BBC to negotiate a sub-licensing deal.
He said: “In Great Britain you have the situation that the BBC has the rights so there is ample time before 2022 and 2024 to have discussions with Discovery about their co-operation.
“The revenue generated from this long-term partnership will be redistributed by the IOC across the Olympic movement to support the development of sport around the world.”