Australia's three commercial free-to-air TV networks "have hit a stalemate" with the IOC over "what they perceive to be an overly ambitious asking price for the rights to three separate Olympics between 2016 and 2020," according to Michael Bodey of THE AUSTRALIAN. The IOC is "believed to want to finalise the three-Games deal," encompassing the 2016 Rio Games, the 2018 PyeongChang Games and the 2020 Tokyo Games. It "hopes to capitalise on the financial settling of the Australian FTA market after Nine Entertainment's float and Ten's capital raising, recent bullish broadcast deals done in the US and Europe, and the announcement of Tokyo as the 2020 host." The IOC is "said to be sticking to its guns" in asking for about A$200M ($182M) for the rights to the three events. All three networks -- Seven, Nine and Ten -- are "involved in the process, although they are showing varying degrees of enthusiasm." The IOC's financial expectations "have been made clear and they are a fair way from what the Australian networks are willing to bear, or can afford" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/9).
