CBC Loses The Olympics

[Ananas]

CBC loses Olympics

Consortium of Bell Globemedia, CTV and Rogers awarded Canadian TV rights for 2010 and 2012 Olympic Games

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (CP) - The Olympics have a new TV home in Canada. And for the first time the price tag of the Winter Games has exceeded that of the Summer Games.

A consortium led by Bell Globemedia, incorporating CTV and Rogers Communications, was awarded Canadian television rights Monday for the plum 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2012 Summer Olympics, another high-profile event with a quintet of glamourous cities bidding to host.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said the winning bid was $153 million US, an increase of 124 per cent on the $73 million spent for the 2006 and 2008 Games.

Of that, $90 million US is for the 2010 Games and $63 million for the 2012 Games.

"This is the first time that the amount for the Games exceeds the Summer Games," IOC Finance Commission chairman Richard Carrion told an IOC news conference.

"We certainly believe that 2010 will be the biggest sport events in Canada this decade, may well be the biggest event in Canada this decade," added Ivan Fecan, president and CEO of Bell Globemedia.

"We really felt we needed to be part of it and right at the centre of it. We also think there's a huge amount of interest, from viewers and advertisers for 2010."

The winning bid offers a wide-ranging Olympic menu of networks. CTV's subsidiaries include TSN, TQS, RDS and the Outdoor Life Network. Rogers holdings includes Rogers Sportsnet and the Omni channels, plus radio stations.

The winning bid offers round-the-clock coverage.

CTV will get the glamour items on the Olympic calendar, with TSN and Rogers Sportsnet offering more indepth look at certain events. Outdoor Life will also play a role, as will the consortium's ethnic and aboriginal stations.

In Quebec, TQS will be the main carrier with RDS also helping out in coverage.

More than 4,000 hours of coverage is planned.

Fecan called it the "most inclusive (Olympic) coverage" in Canada.

CBC paid a Canadian record $45 million US for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, part of a $165-million US package deal for five Olympics back in 1998.

In contrast, CTV paid $4.3 million US in 1988 for rights to the Calgary Games.

The IOC declined to specify financial details from the CBC bid. But CBC's website, citing sources, said "there was a wide disparity in the amount of money each camp was willing to offer."

Fecan called his offer "a strategic but responsible bid."

It's more bad news for CBC Sports, which is already suffering from the NHL lockout. There had been speculation the network might reduce its amateur sports coverage if it lost the bid.

The loss is also a blow to the prestige of the CBC, which has broadcast every Olympics since 1996, recently sharing coverage with TSN. It also holds the rights to the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.

"We would like to acknowledge the CBC for their efforts," Carrion said. "They've been an excellent partner and will continue to be our partner in 2006 in Turin and 2008 in Beijing.

"This was obviously a very good result for the IOC. It was a very hotly contested negotiation."

CTV broadcast the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, the '92 Summer Games in Barcelona and the '94 Winter Games in Lillehammer.

One source told The Canadian Press that CBC went into the bidding knowing they didn't have enough cash to win.

"They knew their bid was not going to be enough," said the source.

"What the strategy was, if it was close, people would look at the fact CBC does a good job of broadcasting the Games and is pretty dedicated to amateur sports in the country."

But the decision is a resounding victory for the alliance of private broadcasters, led by CTV Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc., and points to the intertwining of media interests.

CTV is owned by BCE Inc., which also owns Bell Canada. Bell paid $200 million Cdn for the telecommunication rights for the 2010 Games.

London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris are all vying to host the 2012 Games. The IOC will decide the 2012 host city July 6 in Singapore.

The stakes are high because of 2010. With the Games in Vancouver, Canadian interest will be sky-high.

NBC has already paid $2.201 billion US for the American television rights for the 2010 and 2012 Olympics. That deal included $820 million US for the 2010 Games.

The IOC will share a percentage of television revenues with the Vancouver Games organizing committee.

Monday's decision came after each network made a two-hour presentation and then handed over a sealed bid.

The CBC option involved its main network, CBC Newsworld, its French service, the digital channel CBC Country Canada and its radio network. CBC was also allied with The Score on this bid, giving it another cable outlet.

[sahyder1]

how many networks did CBC show the games on? I can't really remember how things were done in 1998 as those were the last olympics I watched in Canada but I think CBC was the only channel broadcasting. If that is the case that's terrible. Having it on a variety of networks gives you a chance to watch more sports and that's one reason I love what NBC does for the most part here in the states.

[Ananas]

how many networks did CBC show the games on? I can't really remember how things were done in 1998 as those were the last olympics I watched in Canada but I think CBC was the only channel broadcasting. If that is the case that's terrible. Having it on a variety of networks gives you a chance to watch more sports and that's one reason I love what NBC does for the most part here in the states.

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[sahyder1]

yeah, only the American stuff being on in Prime Time does piss me off but I still did get a chance to watch all the other stuff that I generally look for at the Olympics pretty much throughout. We had non-stop 24 hour coverage on atleast one of the networks at any given time.

[Godfatha]

I'm uncertain as to what to think of this. On the one hand, the CBC broadcasters are top notch with years of experience in not only broadcasting amateur sports, but Olympics as well. On the other hand, by diversifying to other networks and allowing round the clock coverage, it will make it easier for myself to watch events transpire when I otherwise wouldn't have had the chance.

That was one of the problems I had with the summer games was that I had to watch NBC because while I got my Canadian fix on CBC, they were pretty much only 1 network and I couldn't get to see or find what I wanted to. By having it on networks owned by CTV, information can be shared between all of the networks so that it can keep the viewer better informed.

[Corizzle]

It won't affect me any because I get all the channels listed but I don't see how Omni fit in except for maybe how Telemundo did this year, since Omni 1 & 2 are mainly multi-cultural channels(al though they show a few English shows)