Olympics on Australian television
{{Short description|Australian television series}}{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2018}}
The Olympic Games have been broadcast on Australian television since 1956, coinciding with both the introduction of television in Australia as well as the first year Australia hosted an Olympics. All three commercial networks have broadcast the Summer Olympics or Winter Olympics at least once, as have both public broadcasters and the dominant subscription television platform Foxtel, often sharing broadcasting rights with another network.
The Olympics is on the anti-siphoning list, meaning subscription television providers are banned from bidding for exclusive broadcasting rights, to ensure the sporting event is available on free-to-air television to all viewers.{{cite web|url=http://www.adnews.com.au/news/seven-s-olympic-app-exploits-loophole-in-anti-siphoning-rule|title=Seven's Olympic app 'exploits' loophole in anti-siphoning rule|date=7 July 2016|accessdate=8 August 2016|first=Sarah|last=Homewood|work=AdNews}}
History
=1956=
=1960s=
For the 1960 Olympics, held in Rome, the coverage was 100% bought in from one of the USA networks. This was not modified AT ALL in consideration of the hugely enthusiastic Australian viewership. Enthusiasm quickly turned into a feeling of insult, as it was only if we figured prominently in any event, that there was any mention of Australians at all, and then, it seemed always in context of how and why the USA was unsuccessful. Compared to 1956, this coverage was deeply disappointing.
A complete debacle.
=1970s=
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=1980s=
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=1990s=
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=2000s=
Throughout the 2000s, the Seven Network held the broadcast rights to all the Summer and Winter Games, sharing rights with SBS in both 2004 and 2008. SBS primarily broadcast long form events and less popular sports.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2007/04/seven-and-sbs-in-olympic-deal.html|title=Seven and SBS in Olympic deal |date=4 April 2007|accessdate=11 August 2016|work=TV Tonight|first=David|last=Knox}}
Seven's coverage received multiple awards across the decade from the IOC at their media awards known as the Golden Rings. It was awarded 'Best Olympic Programme' in 2004,{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=1187|title=IOC rewards best television sports coverage of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games|work=Olympics|date=15 December 2004|url-status=dead|archivedate=16 December 2004|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041216145102/http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=1187}} received three awards in 2006{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=1995|title=Winners of the Olympic Golden Rings 2006|work=Olympics|date=13 December 2006|url-status=dead|archivedate=16 December 2006|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061216020945/http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=1995}} and took the gold award for 'Best Olympic Programme' for the third year in a row in 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/sport/seven-has-last-laugh-over-olympics-coverage/2008/12/17/1229189675213.html|title=Seven has last laugh over Olympics coverage|date=17 December 2008|work=Brisbane Times|accessdate=11 August 2016}}
=2010s=
The Nine Network and Foxtel jointly secured a broadcast rights package which included both the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics, reportedly paying up to $120 million. It marked the first time a subscription television provider was an official Olympics broadcast partner in Australia. Foxtel provided 8 dedicated channels and was the first time more than one channel of Olympic coverage was offered, and also the first time Australian viewers could pay to access Olympic content beyond what was available on free to air television.{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-01/jericho-olympic-coverage/4167104|title=Free-to-air just can't compete at the Olympics|first=Greg|last=Jericho|work=ABC|date=August 2012 }}
The International Olympic Committee initially attempted to sell broadcast rights for both the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics as a package for the same price of $120 million it secured for the previous rights deal. However, it was forced to split the Winter games with broadcasters unwilling to meet the IOC's demands.{{cite web|url=http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/report_ten_network_snaps_up_cut_price_sochi_rights|title=Report: Ten Network snaps up cut-price Sochi rights|date=13 May 2013|accessdate=8 August 2016|work=SportsPro|first=Michael|last=Long}} It follows Nine losing up to $30 million on the 2012 Olympics as well as increasing costs of rights to domestic sports. Network Ten paid $20 million for the 2014 Winter Games.{{cite web|url=https://mumbrella.com.au/ten-picks-up-2014-winter-olympics-for-20m-155177|title=Ten 'picks up 2014 Winter Olympics for $20m'|first=Nic|last=Christensen|date=13 May 2013|accessdate=8 August 2016|work=Mumbrella}} Its flagship nightly program was Sochi Tonight, and it marked the first time a network used a multichannel to air Olympic content, with ONE airing different content to the primary Ten channel.{{cite web|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/channel-10-promises-more-than-550-hours-of-sochi-winter-olympics-coverage/story-e6frfmyi-1226749280353|title= Channel 10 promises more than 550 hours of Sochi Winter Olympics coverage |date=30 October 2013|work=news.com.au|accessdate=8 August 2016}}
In 2014, the IOC announced it had signed a deal estimated to be worth up to $170 million with the Seven Network to broadcast the following three Olympics, the 2016 and 2020 Summer and 2018 Winter Games. The 2016 Games was the first time a free to air broadcaster used two multichannels (7Two and 7mate) to air Olympic content in addition to their primary channel. It was also the first time a paid streaming service was made available, with a $19.95 premium app being offered.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2016/08/seven-announces-olympics-app-pricing.html|title=Seven announces Olympics app pricing|date=1 August 2016|accessdate=1 August 2016|first=David|last=Knox|work=TV Tonight}}
=2020's=
In 2023, Channel 9 announced they had signed a deal for $305 million for exclusive broadcast rights of the Olympics until the 2032 Summer Olympics, these rights included both the Summer and Winter Olympics along with broadcast rights for the Paralympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/feb/09/nine-entertainment-olympic-games-rights-broadcast-tv-streaming-print-what-it-means-for-australia-viewers|title=Nine pays $305m for Olympic Games rights: here's what it means for viewers in Australia|first=Amanda|last=Meade|date=9 February 2023|accessdate=11 June 2024|work=Guardian}}
Broadcasters
See also
{{Portal|Olympics|Australia|Television}}