Olympics on Australian television
| Company type | Broadcasting rights management |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting, Sports broadcasting |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Olympic Games television coverage |
The Olympic Games have been televised in Australia since 1956, coinciding with both the introduction of television in Australia and Australia's inaugural role as Olympic host. Broadcasting rights for the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics have been held at various times by all three major commercial networks, alongside public broadcasters and the primary subscription television provider Foxtel, with rights frequently shared among them.
The Olympics are included on the anti-siphoning list, which restricts subscription services from obtaining exclusive broadcasting rights to guarantee free-to-air access for viewers.
1956
Australia launched television broadcasting to cover the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. The rights were divided among the three stations operating in Melbourne and Sydney, although Sydney audiences experienced broadcasts delayed by up to a day due to technological constraints.
1960s
For the 1960 Rome Olympics, Australian coverage was entirely sourced from an American network feed without customization for local viewers. This resulted in dissatisfaction as Australian athletes were only highlighted when influencing US results, marking a reduction from the more localized approach seen in 1956.
2000s
Throughout the 2000s, the Seven Network obtained exclusive broadcast rights for all Summer and Winter Olympic Games, collaborating with SBS in both 2004 and 2008. SBS concentrated on providing coverage of long-form and niche sports.
Seven's Olympic broadcasts received several International Olympic Committee media accolades (“Golden Rings”), including 'Best Olympic Programme' in 2004, three awards in 2006, and again securing 'Best Olympic Programme' honors in 2008.
2010s
The Nine Network joined forces with Foxtel to acquire broadcast rights for the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics, reportedly investing up to $120 million. This partnership marked the first occasion a subscription television provider officially collaborated on Olympic coverage within Australia. Foxtel delivered eight dedicated channels offering more extensive content than free-to-air networks, introducing paid access to Olympic programming.
Initially, the International Olympic Committee sought to sell broadcasting rights for both the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics as a $120 million bundle but had to separate the Winter Games due to broadcaster resistance against IOC terms. After Nine reportedly incurred a $30 million loss on 2012 coverage amid escalating domestic sports rights expenses, Network Ten secured the 2014 Winter Olympics rights for $20 million. Ten’s principal nightly program was Sochi Tonight, and it pioneered using a multichannel (ONE) to simultaneously air varied Olympic content alongside its main channel.
In 2014, the IOC finalized a deal valued up to $170 million with the Seven Network covering three Olympiads: the 2016 Summer Olympics, 2020 Summer Olympics, and 2018 Winter Olympics. The 2016 Games represented the first instance where a free-to-air broadcaster utilized two multichannels (7Two and 7mate) in addition to its primary channel for Olympic coverage. This period also saw the launch of a paid streaming service via a premium app priced at $19.95.
2020s
In 2023, Channel 9 finalized a $305 million agreement securing exclusive Australian broadcasting rights for the Olympics through to the 2032 Summer Olympics. This contract encompasses coverage of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, in addition to the Paralympic events.
Broadcasters
See also
- Olympics on television
- Seven Network Olympic broadcasts#Olympics on Seven
- Nine Network Olympic broadcasts#Olympics on Nine
- Network Ten Olympic broadcasts#Olympics on Ten