German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF said that they were "never given the chance to increase their bid for broadcast rights for four Olympics ultimately awarded to U.S.-based media giant Discovery Communications," according to the AP. Discovery, the parent company of Eurosport, secured the European broadcast rights for the 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024 Games for $1.45B. In comments reported by news agency dpa, IOC President Thomas Bach said that ARD and ZDF were given the "opportunity to enhance their bid" through the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). ARD and ZDF responded on Friday with a joint statement expressing "great surprise" at the comments. The broadcasters said, "ARD/ZDF took part in the bid separately, and not through the EBU, and submitted their own offer exclusively for the German market via their sports rights agency SportA. Furthermore, at no point after the submission of the offer did the IOC contact representatives of ARD, ZDF, or SportA" (AP, 7/3). DPA reported Bach said that the IOC had received "a very high quality" offer from Discovery covering many platforms. He said that the EBU, as well as ARD and ZDF, "were not in a position to improve their offers on being asked" (DPA, 7/3).
ZASLAV SPEAKS OUT: In N.Y., Claire Atkinson reported Discovery President & CEO David Zaslav discussed the deal with the IOC in a Q&A. Below is an excerpt:
Q: How will most of us be consuming the Olympics in 2018 and beyond?
David Zaslav: The TV will likely be the predominant platform ... but the best and most compelling live content will be consumed anywhere at anytime on the device in your pocket or in your briefcase.
Q: What potential new products do you have to address mobile audiences? And are there new revenue possibilities?
Zaslav: Having the exclusive rights to the Olympics on all platforms across Europe is a meaningful opportunity because our rights reach over 700 million people -- almost twice the size of the United States -- and the Olympics were born in Europe, where today Olympic sports are often the No. 1 or 2 sport in the country and the athletes are national heroes. Eurosport today is the only pan-European sports platform. ... Olympic sports have a compelling and easy application on mobile and should be a compelling driver, through our Eurosport app today throughout Europe (our direct-to-consumer product), which costs $6 a month and is available on mobile.
Q: What role did former NBC Sports Chair Dick Ebersol play in advising?
Zaslav: Dick is a great personal friend and, as an unpaid adviser, was instrumental in helping us craft our four-Olympic bid that made us partners with the IOC and the Olympics for the next decade (N.Y. POST, 7/4).
