ARD, ZDF To Hold Initial Talks With IOC, Discovery On Possibility Of Sublicenses

German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF "have confirmed their intentions to hold initial talks with the IOC and Discovery Communications," according to Holger Rehm of SPONSORs. The talks are expected to be about sublicensing Olympic broadcast rights for period of '18-24. ZDF Sports Dir Dieter Gruschwitz: "We are currently in exchange with the IOC and have made initial contact with the new rights holder." ARD said that it "will first look to get in contact with the IOC." Discovery acquired Olympic broadcast rights in 53 European countries and territories from '18-24. Russia as well as the U.K. and France in '18 and '20 "are the only exclusions." The €1.3B deal gave Discovery free-to-air TV, pay-TV, Internet and mobile rights. The German broadcasters "did not reveal their agenda for the talks." However, it is expected they will ask "why the IOC went with Discovery instead of them." And also what "could be the possibilities for sublicensing the rights" (SPONSORs, 7/14).