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Discovery sign Pan-European Olympics rights from 2018

includes UK from 2022 (June 2015)

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LL
London Lite Founding member
A blog by media consultant Adam Bowie explains in a bit more detail how Discovery could sub licence some events to the BBC for the 2022 and 2024 games.

http://www.adambowie.com/blog/
WH
Whataday Founding member
Interesting to think what could have happened if Discovery had been successful in buying Channel 5.
BR
Brekkie
I'm not as worried about this as I would be if it were Sky or BT. Let's not forget Eurosport has been an Olympic broadcaster for many a year too (up until the latest deal here) and I suspect this deal has more value to them in getting a good chunk out of the main PSB broadcasters in Europe than it does any exclusivity. It also is protecting themselves against the IOC's proposed Olympic Channel, which Eurosport effectively already is.

As is standard with Olympic contracts they are obliged to offer 200 hours of the Summer Games and 100 hours of the Winter Games free to air, which is basically the equivalent of the sort of BBC1/2 coverage we're used to. However the crucial aspect will be what can be offered beyond that - limiting the BBC's coverage to a linear offering would be setting coverage back 20 years, so even if Eurosport aren't willing to offer every event live and FTA, hopefully they offer enough to ensure at least a 6 stream service - or the minimal of every medal event and every event featuring UK participation available for the BBC to broadcast live.

My main worry actually is how the BBC respond. Recent history shows they're very willing to offer a below par service to the public in order to save cash and block their terrestrial rivals out as well.
HC
Hatton Cross
So that is one of the reasons why Discovery didn't get involved in the bunfight over one of the packages for the live Premier League tv rights then. Lining up the ammo for a long term 'knock your socks off' bid for exclusive Olympic rights.

Interesting they are going to fire up a Olympic channel. That then means they will have upto 4 outlets here in the UK for coverage. Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2 and Quest - which, if they can't come to a deal with a terrestrial broadcaster is the 'get out of jail free' card for the FTA coverage outlet. Although, given how what a botch job they made of diving in and out of the world feed for the recent Le Mans 24h coverage...

You would also hope, that Discovery will make enough money on the sub-contracting of the rights to FTA broadcasters across Europe desperate for 50-100 hours of Olympic action, that they wouldn't need to break the coverage on their own dedicated Olympic channel with commercials every 10 mins.

However, no matter what they serve up (and one suspects Eurosport player on-line and the Eurosport connected TV app will be plugged relentlessly, and more coverage dumped via those transmitting methods) nothing will compare to the BBC coverage of London 2012 via D-Sat.
All events, un-edited, no commercials, in HD.
UK
UKnews
As is standard with Olympic contracts they are obliged to offer 200 hours of the Summer Games and 100 hours of the Winter Games free to air, which is basically the equivalent of the sort of BBC1/2 coverage we're used to.

It's less than half of what's been offered by the BBC for recent games - and that's without counting the 6 or so extra streams that were offered for 2004 and 2008 or the 24 for 2012.

(2012 wasn't quite everything, a few events with multiple games at any one time - eg tennis - weren't shown.)
BR
Brekkie
Negotiation is going to be key here. At the end of the day Discovery will want to make back the £60-£80m the UK portion of the rights are valued at, and that is highly unlikely to happen through subscription and advertising - they will want to do a deal and arguably have to do a deal.

We all know the position the BBC has been put in thanks to this government has made it tough for them in recent years when it comes to sports rights and I really do fear they'll go to the table happy to pick up any crumbs at a bargain price.

However IMO the ball is in their corner - they should be able to get more than just the 200/100 hours out of it if they play it right, and they've also got a massive bargaining chip by giving up some exclusivity to the 2016/18/20 games in return. It doesn't really make a blind bit of difference if Eurosport share the rights to those games and they could potentially get so much in return.
IS
Inspector Sands
Interesting they are going to fire up a Olympic channel. That then means they will have upto 4 outlets here in the UK for coverage. Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2 and Quest - which, if they can't come to a deal with a terrestrial broadcaster is the 'get out of jail free' card for the FTA coverage outlet. .

That depends on what the law specifies for the free-to-air coverage... Quest only reaches some of the population. They could put live coverage on Big Centre TV and still get around that issue otherwise
RD
rdd Founding member
AFAIK it can't just be any free to air broqdcaster, it has to be a "qualifying broadcaster" - available FTA to 95% of the State's population.
MA
Markymark
rdd posted:
AFAIK it can't just be any free to air broqdcaster, it has to be a "qualifying broadcaster" - available FTA to 95% of the State's population.


So, in the UK's case one of the three PSB muxes (98-99% coverage), the COM muxes are only available
to 90% of the population.
NG
noggin Founding member
rdd posted:
AFAIK it can't just be any free to air broqdcaster, it has to be a "qualifying broadcaster" - available FTA to 95% of the State's population.


So, in the UK's case one of the three PSB muxes (98-99% coverage), the COM muxes are only available
to 90% of the population.


Given that one of the three is DVB-T2, I wonder if it actually needs to be limited to PSB1 and PSB2 at the moment? I suspect we will have gone entirely T2 by 2022 so this point is likely to be moot. (And in fact we may be on the way to IP delivery also being considered 'free' at that point IF rural broadband penetration has increased to high enough levels)
MA
Markymark
rdd posted:
AFAIK it can't just be any free to air broqdcaster, it has to be a "qualifying broadcaster" - available FTA to 95% of the State's population.


So, in the UK's case one of the three PSB muxes (98-99% coverage), the COM muxes are only available
to 90% of the population.


Given that one of the three is DVB-T2, I wonder if it actually needs to be limited to PSB1 and PSB2 at the moment? I suspect we will have gone entirely T2 by 2022 so this point is likely to be moot. (And in fact we may be on the way to IP delivery also being considered 'free' at that point IF rural broadband penetration has increased to high enough levels)


Satellite exceeds 95% population coverage, but of course only 40% ish of homes are equipped to receive it.

When the 700 MHz UHF band is sold off (UHF Chs 49-60) many transmitters will have to shift frequency, and
consequently some viewers will need to change their aerials to restore service. Some will not bother, and switch to other platforms, eroding DTT's reach. (As well as the impending DSO2 where DVB-T1 will be switched off)

One thing is certain, there will be further and ongoing fragmentation of platform use.

Interesting times ahead !!
RD
rdd Founding member
rdd posted:
AFAIK it can't just be any free to air broqdcaster, it has to be a "qualifying broadcaster" - available FTA to 95% of the State's population.


So, in the UK's case one of the three PSB muxes (98-99% coverage), the COM muxes are only available
to 90% of the population.



Given that one of the three is DVB-T2, I wonder if it actually needs to be limited to PSB1 and PSB2 at the moment? I suspect we will have gone entirely T2 by 2022 so this point is likely to be moot. (And in fact we may be on the way to IP delivery also being considered 'free' at that point IF rural broadband penetration has increased to high enough levels)


As I understand it the UK and Irish implementations diverge at this point. It seems that in the UK, one must be formally designated by Ofcom as a "qualifying broadcaster". Section 98(5) of the Broadcasting Act 1996 provides for Ofcom to publish a list of qualifying broadcasters from time to time. As I understand it only BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 were included in the last list. There's no equivalent requirement on the Minister in section 160 of the Broadcasting Act 2009.

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