Network
The decision was announced in a statement from Larry Probst, the USOCs chairman, after meeting with Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, in Berlin.
The IOC, which oversees the worldwide Olympic community, criticized the USOCs plans to create the U.S. Olympic Network in conjunction with Comcast Corp., the nations largest cable- TV provider.
“I took the opportunity to stress our commitment to being good partners with the IOC and assured President Rogge that we will secure the full support and cooperation of the IOC before we move forward with the Olympic Network,” Probst said. “In order to facilitate a productive dialogue, the USOC has decided to delay further development of the Network until we have resolved all issues of concern to the IOC.”
The USOCs announcement on July 8 of plans to launch its own TV network in 2010 brought a swift critique from the Lausanne, Switzerland-based IOC, which accused the Americans of acting “unilaterally” and posing issues with trademarks and broadcasters who hold rights to televise Olympic sports. TV rights fees make up 53 percent of the IOCs marketing revenue.
NBC Concern
The biggest rightsholder is NBC, the General Electric Co. unit that is paying $1.2 billion for the U.S. broadcast rights to the 2012 Games in London. Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Sports, said in an interview with the New York Times the day after the USOCs announcement that his company and the USOC had talked about creating a network but couldnt reach agreement.
He also said the network may adversely affect Chicagos bid against Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid for the 2016 Games, which NBC has indicated it will bid for. The IOC votes on the host city Oct. 2.
“This so unnecessarily reopens all the wounds,” Ebersol told the Times. “Chicago will be impacted because the electorate that will decide will wonder what the USOC is up to and what the urgency was.”
Pat Ryan, the head of Chicagos Olympic bid committee, praised the USOCs decision today to back off the network plan.
“We applaud Larry Probst and the USOC for making a strong statement of partnership by stating that the USOC would secure the full support and cooperation of the IOC before moving forward with the Olympic Network,” Ryan said in a statement. “It is important not only for the USOC and IOC relationship, but also for the USOCs role within the Olympic movement.”
Sports Bodies
Probst said he and Rogge agreed to conduct further discussions on the relationship between the two sports bodies.
“The meeting was productive and positive and was an opportunity for me to underscore the USOCs commitment to working together with him and the IOC,” he said. “We recognized the necessity and importance of finding new ways to grow and develop the Olympic movement, especially amongst youth.”