Eleven Sports announced an exclusive deal with the IOC to be the official broadcast partner for the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics to engage fans in Singapore. Eleven's linear services, web, app and social media content will provide coverage for approximately 20 hours a day across multiple channels. The company will provide live coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies, daily highlights and other selected events via Facebook Live (Eleven Sports).
Eurosport 1 HD and TLC HD will be available unencrypted and free of charge to DTH households across Europe on the Astra satellite system (19.2° East) during the Winter Games. The agreement to drop the encryption was made between Discovery Networks Deutschland and German DTH platform HD+ (BROADBAND TV NEWS, 2/8).
Gangneung's plan to introduce prayer rooms for Muslim visitors to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics has been halted "in the face of strong criticism" from a South Korean anti-Muslim group. The plan for two container-style prayer rooms "hit a snag" after the civic group drew over 56,000 people to its website opposing the idea (KOREA TIMES, 2/8).
Iran "summoned South Korea’s envoy" after its athletes at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics were not included in a giveaway of Samsung smartphones, "apparently because of concerns over sanctions." Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif "waded into the row" on Thursday, giving an ultimatum to Samsung that "unless the decision was overturned immediately, he would give up using his personal Samsung" (London GUARDIAN, 2/8).
Norway's Winter Olympics team received a surprise delivery of 15,000 eggs after "accidentally ordering ten times the amount" it wanted. Chefs for the 109-strong national team were presented with "half a truckload" of eggs by a local supplier in Pyeongchang after "making a mistake with Google Translate." The mistake resulted in them accidentally asking for 15,000 eggs instead of only 1,500 (BUSINESS INSIDER, 2/8).
