The broadcaster has acquired the exclusive television and digital broadcast rights with a commitment to broadcast its most comprehensive coverage ever across all media platforms, including every single Olympic sport, with unprecedented digital content and Olympic Games coverage on free-to-air national television channels.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: “With the eyes of the world focused on the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo, we are delighted to continue and strengthen our partnership with a long-term broadcast partner which has successfully promoted the Olympic values in Japan since the last time the Olympic Games were in Tokyo, in 1964. Thanks to the Japan Consortium’s sports broadcasting expertise and its passion for the Olympic values, we can ensure outstanding broadcast coverage of the Olympic Games in the years to come. The Japan Consortium’s significant financial commitment over the course of our partnership is great news for the entire Olympic Movement, since the IOC distributes more than 90 per cent of the revenue generated through its commercial agreements to support athletes and develop sport worldwide.”
“We, as the JC, were able to acquire the broadcast rights for the four Summer and Winter Olympic Games this time. NHK aims to deliver ‘the highest level of broadcasting and services’ at Tokyo 2020, and sees significance in continuing to broadcast the world’s greatest sports events after next year that attract a high level of interest from the public,” commented NHK President Ryoichi Ueda. He added: “We will continue to work together with the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association (JBA) and utilise various channels such as high-definition BS4K/BS8K and the internet so that audiences can enjoy the Olympic Games anywhere and anytime.”
JBA President Yoshio Okubo further commented: “We are pleased to announce that the Japan Consortium has been awarded broadcast rights for four Olympic Games scheduled for 2026 and onwards. The JC, along with the Japan Pool (JP), its predecessor, has been instrumental in bringing the splendour of the Olympic Games to Japanese audiences over the years, beginning with the Olympic Games Montreal 1976 and the Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998.
I am confident that the JC, which comprises the public broadcaster NHK and commercial broadcasters, is best equipped, amidst the fast-changing environment surrounding the media and sport, to deliver the Olympic Games to the viewers in Japan with the latest in TV broadcasting technology available. With the new contract under our belt, we are set to forge our relationship with the IOC for 10 more years and beyond. The JC will continue its commitment to the delivery of the excitement generated by the Olympic Games to our viewers through broadcasts and transmissions on other platforms in partnership with the IOC.”
This extension agreement covers the Olympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina 2026, the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, the Olympic Winter Games 2030 and the Olympic Games 2032. It also includes all Youth Olympic Games and Winter Youth Olympic Games during the same period.
Complementing the JC’s comprehensive coverage, the IOC has also retained certain non-live rights to use footage from the Olympic Games on its own digital platforms.