Olympic Television Rights

In: International review for the sociology of sport: irss ; a quarterly edited on behalf of the International Sociology of Sport Association (ISSA), Band 21, Heft 2-3, S. 211-227

Abstract

Since 1960, the escalation in the price of exclusive U.S. television rights for the Olympic Games reflects a geometric progression. The U.S. rights for the 1988 Games alone total $ 609 million. This paper discusses the scope and impact of U.S. television revenue on the Olympics. The analysis is comprised of the following four major sections: 1. history of Olympic television rights; 2. major factors implicated in the geometric expansion of U.S. rights; 3. reaction of Olympic organizations in response to U.S. television revenue; and 4. evaluation of future Olympic television rights given past and current trends. The authors conclude by suggesting that the entire fiscal picture surrounding the Games is in a state of major transition.