EBU and WBD alliance secures European Olympics rights from 2026-2032

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that all media rights in Europe for the four Olympic Games in the 2026-2032 period have been awarded to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Warner Bros. Discovery. 

The EBU and WBD presented a joint bid to acquire all media rights across 49 territories in Europe – for events that will take place in Milan (2026), LA (2028), and Brisbane (2032), with the host of the 2030 Winter Games yet to be decided upon. The IOC accepted the EBU/WBD bid following a competitive tender process.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “We are delighted to have reached a long-term agreement with two of the world’s leading media companies. The EBU and its Members provide unparalleled broadcast expertise and reach across Europe, and Warner Bros. Discovery, through the recent combination of Warner Media and Discovery, represents one of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies across all programming genres and platforms. As the IOC redistributes 90% of the revenues it generates, this long-term agreement provides critical financial stability to the wider sporting movement and ultimately supports the athletes themselves.”

The structure of the new deal differs to the last deal, which covered the period 2018-2024. At that time, the IOC signed a deal with WBD, which then sub-licensed rights to EBU members. Previously, the EBU held the IOC’s rights across the region.

According to the IOC, the new agreement “guarantees free-to-air reach for the Games through the EBU’s network of public service broadcasters. Starting in 2026, the EBU will hold free-to-air rights on television and digital platforms. Every EBU Member will broadcast more than 200 hours of coverage of the Olympic Summer Games and at least 100 hours of the Olympic Winter Games on TV, with a broad range of radio coverage, live streaming and reporting across web, app and social media platforms.”

Welcoming the agreement, Delphine Ernotte Cunci, President of the EBU and CEO of France Télévisions, said: “We’re proud to have secured the Olympic Games for audiences to enjoy free to air until 2032. This deal is a game-changer for public service media and demonstrates the abiding strength and solidarity of our Union.

Andrew Georgiou, president and managing director for Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, added: “As the ‘home of the Olympics in Europe’ for the last three Olympic Games, we are pleased to be extending our relationship with the IOC through 2032. We are grateful to be partnering with the EBU and its Members on the next stage of our Olympic journey, extending our commitment made together with the IOC in 2015 to reach more people through broad-reaching and accessible coverage.”

WBD and the EBU have a history of collaborating to deliver complementary coverage of major sporting events, most recently with the International Biathlon Union World Cup and World Championship events, in addition to summer events including the World Athletics Championships and cycling’s Tour de France and La Vuelta.