The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has selected IMG, a global leader in sports, events, media and fashion, as the international inflight and inship rights holder for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
This deal reaffirms the on-going relationship between the two organisations and will see IMG distribute live coverage, highlights and programming from the Olympic Games to international territories, excluding the USA.
Starting next month from 9th – 25th February, live action from PyeongChang 2018 will be shown on Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra – the IMG-owned and operated channels produced exclusively for airlines and cruise ships.
For the first time, the agreement also covers content from the Olympic Channel, which IMG will license to airlines and cruise ships and show on Sport 24.
IMG has worked previously with the IOC to distribute live coverage from Rio 2016 and Sochi 2014 to inflight and inship audiences worldwide.
Richard Wise, Senior Vice President, Content and Channels, IMG, said: “It is great to be working with the IOC again to distribute rights for PyeongChang 2018 and Tokyo 2020. The Olympic Games are some of the most anticipated events in sport, with over a third of the entire world population tuning into the Rio 2016 opening ceremony.”
“IMG supplies more than 600 hours of programming to more than 50 international airlines a year, more than any other distributor, so we are well versed in leveraging content as prominent and popular as the Olympic Games,” he added.
Timo Lumme, IOC TMS Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to once again partner with IMG to deliver live action from the Olympic Games to passengers in the air and at sea. This agreement, covering both PyeongChang 2018 and Tokyo 2020, continues our longstanding relationship and reflects the IOC’s commitment to ensuring the fullest coverage and the widest possible audience in the world for each Olympic Games.”
Sport 24 is currently available across 12 different airlines and 9 cruise lines and shows live sporting content from around the globe including the Premier League, the Bundesliga, NHL, NFL, UEFA Champions League, NBA, MotoGP, all four golf Majors and each of the tennis Grand Slams.
About IMG
IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media, operating in more than 30 countries. The company manages some of the world’s greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in sports training and league development, as well as marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions. IMG is part of the Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG) network.
Featured image credited to istock.com/JakeOlimb
