Sport and Cinema.com

According to an Associated Press report, NBC, bidding against ESPN/ABC and Fox, has retained the U.S. Olympic television rights in a four-games deal through 2020 worth more than $4 billion.

The sports program of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Russia was expanded by six events recently when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed the inclusion of ski halfpipe (men and women), women’s ski jumping, biathlon mixed relay, figure skating team event and luge team relay.

The Olympic Games have traditionally been a ratings bonanza for American televison networks and they still are. Correspondingly the astronomical rights fees have reflected broadcasters’ level of interest in securing them. But the times, they are a changin’. As the future rights fees are not likely to reach such heights.
(see chart below)

The Richmond Olympic Oval is the long track speed skating venue for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and bound to be eye-candy for viewers around the world. A 15 minute train ride down the new Canada rail line from downtown Vancouver, With its floor to ceiling views of the Fraser River and North Shore Mountains, not only is the vista impressive, but so are the numbers:

Joining forces with cable giant Comcast, the USOC announced it will launch the U.S. Olympic Network after the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.