“We have built the biggest television platform in Asia and the Pacific for the Melbourne Games and we will continue to see it grow over the years, especially with New Delhi hosting the next event in 2010,” said John Barton, ABU’s head of sport in Melbourne.
Televising multi sport events such as the Olympics and Commonwealth Games on free-to-air television would have lasting economic benefits for a nation, said Barton.
“We’re not just investing in a sporting contest. It is much greater than that. We are showcasing the character of a host nation, its many cultural and commercial assets, and the character and values of the competing nations,” he said.
Governments in Asia are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on sporting infrastructure, facilities, coaches and new training methods.
“Asia is thriving as a regional sporting powerhouse with the increasing numbers of Olympic champions. But without television, which has been the engine for growth for many years, that development could be arrested,” he added.
