USOC chairman Larry Probst said yesterday the development of the television project - which was scheduled to go live after next year’s Vancouver Winter Olympics with Comcast as a broadcast partner - until all issues have been resolved with the IOC.
The Olympic governing body had criticised the USOC last month saying the proposed network raised complex legal questions and could also jeopardise relations with the IOC’s US Olympic broadcaster NBC, which holds the television broadcast rights until 2012 and plans to bid for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics.
"I took the opportunity to stress our commitment to being good partners with the IOC and assured President Rogge that we will secure the full support and cooperation of the IOC before we move forward with the Olympic Network," Probst said in a statement. "In order to facilitate a productive dialogue, the USOC has decided to delay further development of the network until we have resolved all issues of concern to the IOC."
The announcement came a day after Probst met in Berlin with IOC president Jacques Rogge to discuss the dispute.
