CCTV.com Awarded Internet Rights for '08 Games in Beijing

The IOC has awarded the Internet and mobile broadcast rights within China for the '08 Beijing Olympics to CCTV.com, according to AROUND THE RINGS. CCTV.com is the Internet arm of CCTV, China's state broadcaster, which holds the TV rights for the Games. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, the "figure could be the highest ever paid for mobile rights to the Games, given the size of the Chinese market," with an estimated 400 million mobile phones is use.  The IOC indicated that it selected CCTV.com "for its capacity to guarantee full exploitation of the digital broadcast rights over a variety of platforms, working in close cooperation" with CCTV (AROUNDTHERINGS.com, 12/18).