IOC Awards Web & Mobile Rights For Beijing 2008

By Sasha Manuel

IOC Awards Internet and Mobile Rights for Beijing 2008 to China

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced an agreement with CCTV.com for the internet and mobile platform exhibition rights within China for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The IOC selected CCTV.com on its capacity to guarantee full exploitation of the digital broadcast rights over a variety of platforms, by working in close cooperation with its television broadcast team. The IOC was also impressed by CCTV.com's commitment to promoting the Olympic Games and the values of the Olympic Movement in China.

Over-the-air TV rights for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 were acquired by CCTV, as a member of the Asian Broadcasting Union, in 1998. The IOC considered interest from several companies for the internet and mobile platform broadcast rights in the Chinese mainland, having launched a tender in March 2007.

Jacques Rogge, IOC President, said: "The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will be a landmark moment in Olympic history, and is obviously an event of huge national interest in China. When this is coupled with China's digital media potential, it means our agreement with CCTV.com represents a very exciting partnership for the Olympic Movement. We look forward to working with our broadcast partner CCTV and its digital arm, CCTV.com, to bring the excitement of the Olympic Games to a new generation of fans in China."

IOC Executive Board member and member of the IOC's TV Rights and New Media Commission Richard Carrión said: "The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will break new boundaries in terms of digital Olympic broadcast. It was important for the IOC to make sure that all potential partners understood the value of the rights and demonstrated that they would fully exploit these rights in mainland China, whilst also providing satisfactory guarantees of anti-piracy and security measures. By granting digital rights to CCTV.com, the IOC believes CCTV.com's digital team will work closely with the broadcast team at CCTV to develop joint executions across media platforms. This will ensure Chinese Olympic fans have access to the best possible Olympic coverage in 2008."

CCTV.com's General Manager, Mr. Wang Wenbin, said: "The 2008 Olympic Games is both a milestone for new media broadcast in China, and also a milestone for the new media broadcast of the Olympic Games."

ENDS

Latest World News | Top World News | World Digest | Archives | RSS

© Scoop Media