IOC Appoints Infront as Exclusive Media Rights Partner for Sub-Saharan Africa

(15/01/2014) Infront Sports & Media, the leading international sports marketing company, has acquired the media rights to Sub-Saharan Africa for the Olympic Games in 2014 and 2016 from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Taking a collaborative approach, Infront will partner with TV Media Sport (TVMS), the France based international sports event television and organisation agency, to fulfil the contract which refers to distribution in 43 countries and territories within the region. It covers the rights for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The agreement comprises exclusive free-to-air television and radio rights, alongside internet and mobile rights. The programming on offer includes a live/delayed signal and highlights from all competitions as well as full coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies. In addition, TV presenting opportunities will be marketed to brands with a focus on the African market.

A tailored programming for African audience

As part of the media rights mandate, Infront and TVMS are producing a specific broadcast feed, tailored for an African audience, for the three events. This includes a focus on African athletes and most popular competitions. The programming is further enhanced with commentary in French, English and Portuguese.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: This agreement reflects the global appeal of the Olympic Games, and our aim is to reach audiences in all regions across the globe with the best broadcast offering. We want to not only generate viewership for sports where African athletes already perform successfully, but also boost appeal for Olympic sports gaining popularity on the continent.

Richard Carri n, IOC Member who led the negotiations, added: Infront has acquired the rights and will now work to sublicense those rights to broadcasters in the region to ensure excellent coverage of the Olympic Games for sports fans in the region. The partnership with Infront allows us to take advantage of its network across the continent, supported further by a tailor-made editorial plan for African broadcasters and their viewers.

Stephan Herth, Executive Director Summer Sports of Infront, said: We would like to thank the IOC for trusting in our broadcast distribution experience and ability to extend the spirit and scope of Olympic programming to an even broader audience. Our ambition is to encourage the growth of sport in Africa with a dedicated broadcast product and continue to advocate the Olympics as a worldwide event. We are looking forward to delivering the Winter Olympics to television screens in so many countries in Africa for the first time in 2014.

H di Hamel, CEO of TV Media Sport, added: After having commercialised UEFA EURO 2012 and IAAF World Championships in Athletics 2013 media rights in Sub-Saharan Africa, TV Media Sport is honoured to bring the emotions of the Olympic Games, which remain the biggest sporting event on the planet, to the African public. And I am very pleased about the excellent partnership with Infront and the IOC!

List of territories covered: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, C te dIvoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, S o Tom and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

About TV Media Sport

TV Media Sport is an international sports marketing company, dealing with media and marketing rights and event management, specialised in the African continent. TV Media Sport, through its unique network of local partners, is recognised as a major operator with strong and credible relay in all regions of the African continent. Its philosophy is to bring prestigious worldwide sporting events to Africa and to bring local events out of Africa.

About Infront Sports & Media

Infront Sports & Media, based in Zug, Switzerland, is one of the leading international sports marketing groups in the world. Known for its high standards of delivery, the company covers all aspects of a successful sport event including distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production and event operations. As a leading player in winter sport, football and summer sports, Infront enjoys long-lasting partnerships with 120 rights-holders and hundreds of sponsors and media companies. With an experienced and passionate team of 500 staff in 20 offices across 10 countries, the Group helps to annually deliver over 3,400 event days of top class sport around the world.

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