Discovery sub-licenses Olympics to ORF

Discovery has inked a deal with ORF that sees the Austrian pubcaster sub-license Olympics TV rights from the US channels giant.

Discovery snagged European rights to the Olympics between 2018-2024 in a US$1.45 billion deal last year. It has since been striking deals with free-to-air channels,including the BBC in the UK, for the rights.

The deal with ORF gives the broadcaster rights to coverage from the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games across TV and radio.

The Austrian broadcaster also gets selected digital rights.

Discovery-owned Eurosport will hold the pay rights to air all Olympic Games action on its German language channels available in Austria, as well as across all digital, OTT and mobile platforms.

Kasia Kieli, president of Discovery Networks Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “We have secured a groundbreaking Olympic partnership for viewers in Austria, ensuring that the Olympic Games remains accessible to the broadest possible audience and delivered to the highest standard.”

Dr. Alexander Wrabetz, ORF’s director general, said: “With the acquisition of the rights for the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games from the Olympic rights holder Discovery, we are able to offer our Austrian sports fans the most important winter and summer sports events in full extent and in the usual top quality.”

This is the latest Olympics rights deal Discovery has agreed with a pubcaster. It already has agreements in place with HRT in Croatia, CT in the Czech Republic, YLE in Finland, RTE in Ireland and NOS in the Netherlands.