Once the Vancouver Olympics end, negotiations could begin for the 2014 and 2016 TV rights for the U.S. The potentially $2 billion deal is expected to attract bids from all four major U.S. networks, but the attention is on current rights holder NBC, with ABC/ESPN as possibly the strongest contender to snatch the prize from NBC.
Richard Carrion, IOC member from Puerto Rico, leads the IOC side of the negotiations.
NBC, about to be acquired by U.S. cable firm Comcast, presumably will include NBC Olympics chairman Dick Ebersol in the discussions. And presumably the chairman and CEO of Comcast, Brian Roberts, may have some input in what would be a major decision, even if the deal to buy NBC is still pending.
George Bodenheimer, the head of ESPN, is expected to be a foil to plans by NBC to maintain its Olympic dominance. For the IOC, an earnest bid by ABC/ESPN could mean a record-setting deal for the U.S. rights, regardless of which network wins.
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Written by Ed Hula
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