The CBC "has managed to land the Canadian broadcast rights" to the '18 Pyeongchang Games and the '20 Tokyo Games, according to David Shoalts of the GLOBE & MAIL. While the CBC will show "the bulk of the most popular events," Rogers Communications and Bell Media, the parent company of CTV, "will carry some of the Olympics programming on their Sportsnet and TSN/RDS networks, respectively." Neither CBC President & CEO Hubert Lacroix and Exec Dir of Sports & GM of Olympics Jeffrey Orridge would disclose the net's rights fee for the two Games, but they said that it was "fiscally responsible." Orridge said that the net "expects its investment to break even at worst." Shoalts notes Orridge's claim was "echoed by the two private broadcasters." Olympics rights fees "became comparatively inexpensive when Rogers and Bell Media lost interest in bidding wars on the properties." No one "would say how the productions costs will be split." The CBC "will take the lead as the content producer" and will "be in charge of selling advertising on all three carriers." The CBC's "only major property is now the Olympics." Execs from all three companies said that "the days of one network carrying an entire Olympics are over, for more reasons than finances" (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/29).
WITH THESE RINGS: The CP's Gregory Strong reported coverage details "haven’t been finalized but given its strong reach, expect the CBC to broadcast the top-tier events." Orridge said that TSN/RDS "would get the next level down, followed by Sportsnet, then TSN2, and then Sportsnet One." CTV President for Programming & Sports Phil King said, "What we’re going to basically offer is a 24-hour Olympic network. If you have CBC, TSN and Sportsnet, you will have a 24-hour Olympic network." The CBC "reclaimed the rights" to the '14 Sochi Games after losing the '10 Vancouver Games and the '12 London Games to CTV. The three broadcasters "worked together at the Sochi Games, although this deal is more extensive for the specialty networks" (CP, 10/28).
