The decision followed the withdrawal of Rogers Media from the bidding. Rogers Media is part of the Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, along with Bell Media, which will broadcast next summer’s Games in London, as part of a deal which also covered the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. CBC had broadcast five editions of the Games up to 2010.
Jeff Orridge, executive director of CBC sport, said that the partnership would be much more equitable than the partnership between Bell and Rogers, in which Bell is thought to contribute about 80% of the investment. Kirstine Stewart, executive vice-president of English services at CBC, said that the deal was “a first and important step in renewing the Olympic tradition on all of the public broadcaster’s platforms”.
Stewart added: “With our commitment to keep offering world-class sports events, including Olympic Games, we will continue optimising partnership opportunities like this one for the benefit of all Canadians.” Kevin Crull, president of Bell Media, said: “The Olympic Games are a premium property that requires a strong partnership in order to deliver the level of experience that Canadian viewers and advertising partners now expect.”
Crull told the Canadian media that due to the previous relationship between CTV and the CBC, for five Games between 2000 and 2008, the new partnership was the logical choice. “We have had a long history with CBC in co-producing and delivering the games so it was a bit of a natural,” he said. The International Olympic Committee is likely to auction the rights in Canada later this year. Shaw Media is thought to be the only likely competitor to the Bell/CBC partnership.
