Discovery Communications President & CEO David Zaslav following the announcement of a European Olympic media-rights deal yesterday said that the company hopes to be "sub-licensing rights in many, especially strategic, markets to free-to-air networks and retaining cable network rights," according to Georg Szalai of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. But the company also has "free-to-air channels in various markets." Discovery Networks Int'l President JB Perrette yesterday said the company was "very open" to deals and would look to "maximize the exposure and value of the games." In France, public broadcaster France Televisions "has the rights" to the '18 and '20 Games, followed by Discovery in '22 and '24. IOC and Discovery execs yesterday said that there "could be talks in many markets that could see Discovery sublicense at least some of the content rights." Without saying whether the BBC had bid for the rights to the '22 and '24 Games, a company spokesperson added, "We will be seeking further discussions with Discovery about the U.K. free-to-air rights to the 2022 and 2024 Olympic Games in due course." Zaslav: "The BBC will have the chance to sub-license some of the rights" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 6/29).
ENGLISH CHANNEL: In London, Simon Rice notes under current legislation, the Olympics is a "'Listed event' and has to be on free-to-air TV but that does not include the increasingly important digital or mobile coverage." It might be that Eurosport "sub-licenses highlights to the BBC or Channel Four but keep all the other media rights for itself -- and it does have Freeview channels itself" (London INDEPENDENT, 6/30).
