CBC Takes the TV Podium for 2014 and 2016 Olympic Coverage

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy

With the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games underway, CTV has been beaming the accomplishments of Canadian athletes. While lacking the same pomp or nationalistic enthusiasm as the Vancouver Games that brought the grand land of Canada so close together in 2010, an audience of millions can still be accounted upon to tune in to cheer on the red and white. While CTV stations (with a partnership between Rogers Communication) have relished what appears to be two memorable games, the broadcasting reigns are being turned over to CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) for the next two Olympic festivities in Sochi, Russia and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

CBC's renewed involvement for the future Olympic Games brings a rich Canadian broadcasting relationship back to the forefront. Televising the Olympic Games for the first time in 1960 when cameras were taken Squaw Valley, California for the Winner events, a total of 19 Winter and Summer Olympics have been recorded, broadcasted as well as commentated upon by CBC personnel.

Understandably, the news of the 2014 Winter Games and 2016 Summer Games coming to CBC made for a momentous day at their Front Street headquarters. CBC/Radio-Canada President Hubert Lacroix was quited as saying, “This is excellent news for Canadians across the country who will once again experience the Olympic tradition with their public broadcaster. We've promised Canadians signature events on all our platforms that create opportunities to connect with each other and the country" On the event side, IOC (International Olympic Committee) President Jacques Rogge declared that, “Canada is a sports loving nation and Canadians are big fans of the Olympic Games. CBC/Radio-Canada has a wealth of experience in broadcasting sports and the Olympic Games and we are pleased that we will once again be joining forces with them in the future.” 

Bell Media's president Kevin Crull was gracious on CBC's successful effort in winning the 2014 and 2016 Olympics saying, "Congratulations to CBC/Radio-Canada on their successful bid,". Crull added "We look forward to CBC/Radio-Canada building upon the high standards and expectations that we have established in Vancouver and London. We wish them the very best and offer them our complete support in presenting the next two Games."

The Canadian Olympic team issued a statement shortly another the new broadcast partnership was affirmed. President of the Canadian Olympic Committee Marcel Aubut declared, “CBC/Radio-Canada has been an unwavering champion of amateur sport and our nation’s best athletes. “. Another bode of support to CBC came from the Canadian Paralympic Committee "CBC/Radio-Canada has a strong history of supporting Canada's amateur sport athletes and the Paralympic movement, most recently through their broadcast of both Athletics and Para-Athletics events last month at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Calgary." said Henry Storgaard, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Paralympic Committee adding "We look forward to working with them to help tell the stories of our incredible athletes at the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi and the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games in Rio."

As can be expected, the digital cable news channel Sun News Network were none too pleased with the notion of the Olympics returning to government subsidized CBC. Commanding a long-running vendetta to have the public broadcaster stripped of operating funds from the federal government, they naturally took issue that taxpayers money is being used on purchasing rights of an expensive event. Making note that CBC nor the International Olympic Committee would announce the price paid for the coverage, the Sun media collective acted swiftly to dishonour the honour with an alleged cover-up.

While true the cost for the licensing was not announced, on-line media news website Cartt.ca uncovered a source claiming the Olympics were acquired for under half the cost that CTV had to pay for the Vancouver Winter Olympics and the current London Summer games. By the numbers, the CBC deal for the next two Olympics is estimated to cost around 70-80 million dollars.

The distribution of the Olympic programming on the CBC family of networks and any on-line coverage is still to be determined how Canadian as well as other world athletes will be broadcasted into homes.