Nine chases Olympics broadcasting rights

Top Nine executives and Today show host Karl Stefanovic are reportedly in Switzerland this week to help Nine land the next Olympics broadcasting rights, according to a report.

A spokesperson from Nine told Mumbrella: “Karl Stefanovic has been sent on a secret assignment and won’t be returning to the Today show until Friday this week.”

The International Olympic Committee is expected to begin a formal tender for the rights to the next three summer and winter Olympics later this year.

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane are yet to be tied to an Australian broadcaster.

Seven has held the rights since 2016, Seven paying a reported $200 million in 2014 for the three most recent games.

Meanwhile Amazon Prime Video has also not ruled out a bid.

“We look at every opportunity that comes to market,” Tyler Bern, Head of Content, Prime Video Australia, last week told the Sydney Morning Herald. “We do have an appetite for additional sporting rights, but what will be our next sports property after swimming? We don’t know yet. It just depends on what the opportunity is, where it falls within our slate and our programming calendar and obviously, economics and how competitive it is.”

The anti-siphoning list currently blocks pay TV provider Foxtel from bidding on Summer and Winter Olympic Games, ahead of Free to Air, but not streaming platforms as yet. It has previously called for a level-playing field in Sports broadcasting rights. TV Tonight