CBC retains the Rings through Tokyo 2020
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation will return as the official Olympic broadcaster for Pyeongchang 2018 and Tokyo 2020.
As with the most recent Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, the public broadcaster will be tackling its East Asian adventures with a pair of private partners, Bell Media (owns TSN and RDS) and Rogers Media (owns Sportsnet).
It’s no secret that CBC has faced some tough personnel decisions in recent years with major budget cuts and it has recently come under controversy over the firing of a popular radio host embroiled in a sex scandal.
However, away from salacious bedroom details and onto the field of play, in uniting with Canada’s two biggest private broadcasters, Bell and Rogers, CBC will continue to lead in its coverage of amateur sports on the largest winter and summer stages when the Olympics arrive in South Korea and Japan, respectively, in 2018 and 2020.
CBC Sports Weekend host Scott Russell wrote passionately about the public broadcaster’s commitment to amateur sports in his most recent blog.
Figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond being interviewed by CBC at the Main Press Centre in Sochi.
While not all details have been released as of writing, this partnership will mean greater coverage for the Olympic viewer. Cable and internet subscribers who have access to CBC, TSN/RDS and Sportsnet will be able to watch live whatever Olympic events they want. In addition to the live coverage, highlights will be available on each of the cable channels’ flagship news shows, SportsCentre and Sportsnet Central, as well as their websites and radio stations. For the Canadian amateur athlete, this could provide greater exposure.
The CBC announcement comes during a month when 2015 was proclaimed to be the ‘Year of Sport’ by the Government of Canada. Two of the major highlights of what will be an eventful year includes the Pan American Games in Toronto on CBC and the FIFA Women’s World Cup on TSN.
