Durban Sandshark

Bruce McAvaney is as excited as ever for the Olympics as the beloved Australian sportscasting legend makes his 11th Olympics assignment dating back to 1984 in Los Angeles on Network Ten as his whole world class Seven Network Tokyo 2020 sportscasting team was announced in Sydney that's a mix of vets and newcomers, assembled with 14 of Australia's greatest Olympians. Mel McLaughlin (primetime), Johanna Griggs (also doing Australia's #1 "brekky" show Sunrise), 7 returnee Sonia Kruger, and Hamish McLachlan (primetime) with him as host anchors along with cricket star Trent Copeland, Lisa Sthalekar, Abbey Way (late night) as newcomers with the added responsibility of also guiding the 43 channel streams from 7, 7TWO, and 7 Plus. Australian gold medallists Ian Thorpe (swimming), Anna Meares (cycling), Steve Hooker, Nick Green (rowing, Oarsome Foursome member), Giaan Rooney, Scott McGrory, Russell Mark (shooting), and Debbie Watson (water polo), while Olympians Andrew Gaze, Rachael Sporn (basketball), Tamsyn Lewis-Manou, David Culbert (track & filed/athletics), Kate Bates (cycling), and Ash Nelson (field hockey) all headline Seven’s coverage. Master broadcaster Basil Zempilas leads an impressive team of callers including "the global doyen of cycling commentary" Phil Liggett, Dave Christison (field hockey), John Casey (basketball analyst), and accomplished callers Michael Zappone, Mark Braybrook, Brenton Speed and Matt Hill. Pat Welsh will be trackside with Nathan Templeton will conduct similarly poolside interviewing the Olympic stars post-race. Edwina Bartholomew and Zempilas were granted the honour of commentating the cultural components of the Opening Ceremony and will be joined by Hamish McLachlan, Johanna Griggs and Australian flagbearer at the Olympic Games Sydney 2000 Andrew Gaze for the Parade of Nations on his 20th anniversary of that honor. Jason Richardson, Emma Vosti, and James Tobin are 7's roving reporters all over Tokyo "bringing all the color". 7NEWS Chief Correspondent Chris Reason and 7NEWS Sports Editor Jim Wilson will lead a team of reporters on the ground in Tokyo–including Alex Hart, Sharnelle Vella, Rob Scott, Max Futcher, Laurel Irving, Matthew Carmichael, Pat Welsh and Nathan Templeton–operating 24 hours a day reporting news from the International Broadcast Centre as "Australia's Official Olympic News Service" with info also coming from 7news.com.au: Bruce McAvaney Headlines Once Again As Seven Network Australia's Announces Its Tokyo 2020 Olympics Broadcasting Team Moreover, Seven West Media can be repaid its Australian broadcasting costs should the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics get cancelled altogether this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which will of course impact its cross-promotional opportunities with its other TV programming and sponsorship impact despite a debt. Has A$90 million raised in advertising revenueStill preparing and closely monitoring the situation: https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/seven-west-media-to-be-refunded-if-olympics-gets-cancelled-20200315-p54a9g.html

I'm believing the yearlong postponement will take place too. For one thing, the NBA is thinking at potentially resume their season play--in closed arenas, at least at first--around mid-or-late June and this includes the NBA playoffs. Maybe under a truncated format and try to satisfy its TV partners. Definitely this will spill into the upcoming men's FIBA WOQTs set for play in Victoria, Belgrade, Kaunas, and Zagreb on June 23-28 with NBA stars from many nations involved expected to compete to qualify for the four remaining spots as the group winners. No NBA international stars playing in them like Luka Doncic, Domantas Sabonis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, these tournaments definitely will lose some star power appeal. Could they all be rescheduled? Basketball no doubt is a very popular Olympic sport worldwide, and the IOC and FIBA deeply knows all about the NBA's global weight and currency. Look for all that to be a major factor whether or not Tokyo 2020 will start on time, delayed a few months, or for a year. NRL and AFL in Australia are still competing having just started their seasons, although there's serious pressure nationally down there to suspended the leagues. Liga MX, Ascenso MX, and Liga MX Femenil just indefinitely suspended all their clausura seasons by FMF. Russian Premier League and Russia's FNL are still playing.

Africa's lack of snow, ice, high mountains, continent-wide rinks, subsequent equipment, and winter weather makes it highly unlikely for African nations to become instantly competitive in top-flight international ice hockey for the forseeable future. There's not even an African unifying ice hockey federation governing the sport. 12 different African nations participate in ice hockey at various levels of development. Many are in their infancies and sorely needs better organization. Nor is there an African Nations Ice Hockey Cup or a club version yet. South Africa, the most industrialized African nation and a full member of the IIHF with a national federation, ice hockey rinks, clubs and national teams, being the best one of the bunch but still playing at the lower international levels possessing its own national challenges. Algeria just became a IIHF member last year. Namibia withdrew from IIHF comps and left altogether but I hope it'll return as it focuses on inline hockey. Kenya, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Nigeria all have some amateur teams and clubs but with no status or IIHF membership. There actually have been African/African diaspora players in the NHL or overseas pro leagues like Roman Ndur, Jarome Iginla, Oliver Kylington, Johnny Oduya, Djamel Zitouni, Yassine Fahas, and Harond Litim. But more of them filling the ranks will take time But that doesn't mean minnows like an African ice hockey national team can't "dream big". With the way how the qualification systems are though, it can take generations along with hard work, focus, developing skill, developing international experience over the years, deepening the collective talent pool, organization, money, quality coaching, and conditioning/training. As stated before Kenya does actually have some ice hockey but still far away from the Olympics. Nevertheless in this Alibaba Olympic commercial as a worldwide sponsor for its new campaign, it inspires and pays tribute to "the greatness of small" to cook up their own African ice hockey answer to the Jamaican bobsled team's Cool Runnings. A Kenyan boy gets inspired to play ice (and roller) hockey while watching Olympic ice hockey presumably shown on Supersport from South Africa shown throughout Sub-Saharan Africa on a mass Winter Olympic showing. He encounters older doubters along the way who are unfamiliar with the sport but still persists while playing. Kenya, while having already participated in five Winter Olympics, does have a national ice hockey team of sorts but has yet to participate in major IIHF international tournaments to get one as a team. The ice rink they eventually and excitedly make it to here nearly at the end to feel the ice actually is Cape Town's Ice Station that has oftimes hosted Division III tournaments when held in South Africa but ultimately fantasizes of the big Olympic show you see at the end. Odd to hear a digireedoo in the score.

Here comes a very nice find. Nancy Greene was Canada's undisputed star from the Grenoble 1968 Winter Olympics--she produced almost all of their 3-medal haul with a gold and a silver in alpine slalom skiing (Canada's men hockey team finished with bronze to complete things). But it came at a time when Canada wasn't really producing a huge medal haul like many Winter Olympics later such as these days starting with Sarajevo for many factors. Even when France's Jean-Claude Killy was overshadowing her in his backyard and she seems to be overlooked nationally these days, Nancy Greene does deserve her due and be among Canada's greatest athletes, winter or not. Here, she's pitching Mars Bar back in 1980 with her younger brother when discussing the perils of downhill skiing accidents by minimizing skillfully through balance and headwork in landing safely while watching film in her "trophy room". In the USA and apparently Canada, Mars is now rebranded as Snickers With Almonds many years later while remaining as Mars overseas. Definitely shown during the CBC's and CTV's Lake Placid coverage back in 1980 in Canada:

The 2020 US Olympic and Paralympic Committee Media Summit in Los Angeles scheduled for yesterday is one of many shelved or cancelled sports-related events until further notice over growing coronavirus concerns involving mass social gatherings. It was expected to feature more than 100 US Olympians and Paralympians to participate: https://supersport.com/general/news/news/200310_US_Olympic_chiefs_axe_media_summit_over_virus_fears https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2020/03/09/us-olympic-media-summit-tokyo-games-canceled-coronavirus-fears/5005587002/ Just because NBCU just now sold its Snapchat stake for $500 million doesn't mean it will also sever its 2020 Tokyo Olympic content partnership with Snap and its joint scripted content venture called Indigo: https://www.tubefilter.com/2020/03/10/nbcuniversal-sells-500-million-stake-snap/ ZDF has a four-part, each in 16 minutes, documentary series accompanying the 15 rowers fighting since November 2018 pursuing a lifelong dream for the 7 coveted spots on the German Rowing Association's Tokyo 2020 Olympic roster filled with hard training preparation, being in shape, and the competition involved up to selection on their way to Tokyo. Documentary series is called SXULLS: The Selection by Matthias Wolf and Guido Weihermüller. Viewers can experience the finale of the documentary series as part of the ZDF Olympic coverage in a 30-minute reportage from Tokyo. Four shorter 8-minute episodes are broadcast in the “ZDF SPORTreportage” on Sundays from 5.10 pm. ZDF, in what you see here, also goes into the digital extension available as 15-minute long version in the ZDFmediathek with more videos and clips. Will be available until November 22: https://www.zdf.de/sport/zdf-sportreportage/zdf-sportreportage-sxulls-auf-dem-weg-zu-den-olympischen-spielen-2020-tokio-teil-1-die-selektion-100.html A $44.8 million/40 million euro Tokyo 2020 technology hub opened up by Discovery in Hilversum, Netherlands that not only "will provide access to a private cloud for remote live sports productions from Discovery-owned broadcaster Eurosport’s channels" across the continent but also "will create greater scalability and flexibility for its sports production business, which spans 75 markets and territories, [presenting] more than 20 commentary centres, ten production centres, 150 editing and post-production suites, 40 live transmission rooms, 26 production control rooms and 13 production centres for digital." This follows up a 2018 announcement Eurosport made about creating a European operations base and move its European pay-TV licenses to The Netherlands: https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/discovery-eurosport-tokyo-2020-technology-hub Eurosport also secures the exclusive Nordic broadcasting rights to the six Olympic Handball Qualification Tournaments this March (three women) and April (three men) for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics that was facilitated by the Lagardère Sports agency, the global media-rights agency of the International Handball Federation in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. France's commercial TV broadcaster TF1 holds the French free-to-air commercial rights because one of men's tournaments is held at Paris' AccordHotels Arena/the Palais Omnisports De Bercy: https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/eurosport-secures-nordics-rights-to-tokyo-2020-handball-qualifiers/ https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/discovery-to-follow-norways-bid-to-reach-tokyo-2020-handball-competition/ Telia's 770,000 customers were blocked from viewing Discovery's Channel 5, Channel 9, Channel 11, Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2, Discovery Channel, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, TLC and Discovery Science on their subscriptions in Sweden. But that's now resolved in an agreement and will get to see the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games and Allsvenskan soccer. Channels return on Telia this coming Sunday: https://www.expressen.se/sport/fotboll/allsvenskan/efter-tv-braket-nu-ar-parterna-overens/ And Record in Sao Paulo, Brazil has given up on charging up to R$16 million for its Tokyo 2020 Olympic news coverage advertising package because of no commercial sponsor interest. Never mind its history of generous discounts to companies. Still will conduct Olympic news on Record: https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/olimpiadas/ultimas-noticias/2020/03/09/cotas-olimpicas-de-r16-mi-empacam-e-record-desiste-de-vender-toquio-2020.htm

NBC proudly announces earlier this week on Tuesday afternoon that it eclipses its own Summer Olympics national advertising revenue record with $1.25 billion for its upcoming Tokyo 2020 coverage from its Rio De Janeiro $1.2 billion record in 2016 at 90% of the Tokyo inventory there with the Paralympic ad sales inventory now complete. Major brands are involved. This with Tokyo being multiple time zone hours away from the continental US than with Rio De Janeiro. At this same time, it also came to light from NBC, through Comcast, it took out insurance in case of cancellation or postponement due to coronavirus outbreak concerns to mitigate any forthcoming losses, but it's "still full steam ahead" for Tokyo 2020 still under schedule. Not unlike NBC did when the US boycott forced to take out money ($1 million, if I recall correctly) from Lloyd's of London, taking a $22 million red bath. Cancelling the Tokyo Summer Olympics would definitely be problematic with lots of logistics and years of planning and money going down the drain. But it would potentially cause serious media ramifications like losing younger viewers and on its importance, ancillary viewership, and a massive female viewership attracted to the Games. Nevertheless it is still monitoring the corona situation: https://www.businessinsider.com/cancelling-summer-olympics-cause-media-disaster-hurt-nbcu-2020-3 https://www.adweek.com/tv-video/nbcu-surpasses-1-25-billion-in-tokyo-olympics-ad-sales-as-part-of-full-steam-ahead-push/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/business/media/nbc-olympics-coronavirus.html https://www.inquirer.com/business/comcast/coronavirus-comcast-nbcuniversal-tokyo-olympics-20200303.html https://deadline.com/2020/03/comcast-olympics-coronavirus-1202873314/ https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/348018/a-canceled-summer-olympics-is-tvs-worst-case-scen.html Regarding a little bit on NBC's new Peacock streaming service. Comcast/NBCU expects to spend about $2 billion in Peacock's first two years and to reach profitability by its fifth year with "big plans for streaming in 2020" obviously starting in April in its "investment years" with Tokyo 2020 as a tentpole event to gather around with. Comcast's Xfinity Flex for streaming/smart home users is offered for free to broadband-only customers with NBC's family of networks Tokyo 2020 coverage surely included. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts even mentions the coronavirus scare may force an uptick in American digital Olympics viewing consumption. Discovery meanwhile says it took out insurance adding it "not going to have any adverse impact on our financials” if cancelled: https://www.lightreading.com/cable-video/2020-set-up-as-an-investment-year-for-comcast-ceo-says-/d/d-id/757955 https://www.thewrap.com/coronavirus-scare-home-indoor-digital-viewing-comcast-ceo-brian-roberts/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2020-cancellation-economy-fa/money-money-money-whats-at-stake-if-olympics-fall-victim-to-coronavirus-idUSKBN20Q0MD Seven Network is also concerned too with the coronavirus over how "commercially sensitive" it is, anticipating how this could the most watched Olympics and Paralympics in Australian media history with a more desirable time zone and very heavy national promotion for its upcoming coverage since 2019: https://www.smh.com.au/national/it-would-be-devastating-athletes-fears-over-future-of-olympics-20200226-p544kr.html BandSports is investing R$4 million for its Tokyo 2020 Olympics TV and digital coverage with Bia and Branca Feres (synchronized swimming), Daniele Hypólito (gymnastics), Ricardo Prado, Marcelo Negrão and Fofao (volleyball), Andre Domingos (track and field), announcer Álvaro José, presenting studio hosts Elia Júnior, Oliveira Andrade, and journalist Dudu Vaz as notable names as part of a 30-person staff traveling to Tokyo will all travel details cemented. Falls under a pro-Brazillian focus. Programming should consist of live broadcasts of the sporting event daily, from 8am-12 pm Brazil time with hopes to have a commentator for every Olympic sport. Priority goes especially to when there's a Brazilian performing live. Entire regular TV schedule becomes all-Olympic Channel. When not covering the live Olympic action from Japan not limited to Tokyo, BandSports will offer Olympic-related journalistic programming. Feels it's got something better to offer than what Globo/SporTV plans to do: https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/ultimas-noticias/2020/02/27/bandsports-investe-r-4-milhoes-e-contrata-ex-atletas-para-a-olimpiada.htm https://tvefamosos.uol.com.br/colunas/flavio-ricco/2020/02/25/o-que-vale-a-pena-ver-de-novo-depois-de-avenida-brasil.htm Globo plans to send 102 professionals on location to Tokyo, Japan. Logistical professional hirings to Japan has been delayed until further notice. Both Globo and BandSports are assessing the coronavirus situation and treating things with extreme caution while planning and scheduling. Band in particular vows not to put any of its Japan-bound personnel at risk if the disease remains a threat: https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/ultimas-noticias/2020/03/04/coronavirus-faz-globo-e-band-estudarem-mudar-planejamento-de-toquio-2020.htm RAI Pubblicita selects Tembo for developing creative campaigns for major events like the 2020 Summer Olympics, Euro 2020, and other national and international events this year: https://www.touchpoint.news/2020/03/05/rai-pubblicita-sceglie-tembo-per-le-campagne-creative/

ESPN and ABC celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Miracle On Ice in Lake Placid back on February 22, 1980. Hard to believe it was THAT LONG AGO when it happened! Yet Saturday was the actual date but ESPN/ABC decide to deal with that on Sunday when the TV programming was more favorable for event commemorations. One of the greatest sports moments and biggest upsets ever. The Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30 For 30 Of Miracles And Men, the documentary examining the Soviet perspective of things centering on the heavily-decorated Viachaslav Fetisov upon his return to the scene of the crime, re-aired on ESPN2 Sunday at 9pm USA/Canada/Mexico CT. There was also a Sportscenter Special: Miracle on Ice at 40 hosted by Jeremy Schaap with 1980 stars Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig, and Mark Johnson in studio on ABC (1pm) and ESPN2 (8pm). And the airing of the beloved 2004 Disney movie Miracle that dramatized the 1980 USA Olympic ice hockey team's golden journey on home soil on 5:30pm on ESPN. Filled with college kids. Still national heroes. Like them lighting the flame in Salt Lake City Opening Ceremony in 2002. Surely it never gets old for them. https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2020/02/espn-abc-debut-sportscenter-special-commemorating-the-u-s-hockey-teams-miracle-on-ice-40th-anniversary/ https://www.pennlive.com/life/2020/02/miracle-on-ices-40th-anniversary-is-being-celebrated-on-espn-and-abc.html Too bad the full doc isn't on YouTube this time. Or the related programming mentioned here. HBO has the doc Do You Believe In Miracles? Like below. Actually there's several other related documentaries. Even the 1981 ABC made-for-TV movie Miracle on Ice starring Karl Malden as Herb Brooks. Worth mentioning again here on these boards that the Miracle on Ice game was taped-delayed on ABC for primetime. But was live on Canada's CTV. Nobody wanted to go home in the crowd. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-K-mm8Bqik The 1980 Miracle On Ice team celebrated in Las Vegas Saturday night with the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers. Not everyone from the team was present though like coach Herb Brooks and Bob Suter, who are both no longer with us, and two other players for different reasons (Mark Johnson, now head coach of Wisconsin's women's hockey team; and forward Mark Pavelich, who was jailed last year on assault charges and ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial). Their expenses were all paid by VGK owner Bill Foley including their gambling money. Even Al Michaels turned up: https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/28761741/miracle-ice-team-honored-panthers-golden-knights-game https://prodancecheer.com/style/sports/miracle-on-ice-1980-olympics-hockey-team-honored-in-las-vegas/

Brazilian TV presenter Sabrina Sato and singer Claudia Leite were chosen to be 2020 Time Brasil's godmothers by the Brazilian Olympic Committee. Basically, their function will be to summon Brazilian fans, usually clad in yellow, to accompany the country's athletes to Tokyo with a large Brazilian delegation expected to compete there and cheer them on. Bit of significance for Sato since she's of Japanese heritage. Social media plays a role in their selection as godmothers for they share a combined and strong 90 million social media followers with their influence: https://globoesporte.globo.com/olimpiadas/noticia/sabrina-sato-e-claudia-leitte-sao-escolhidas-madrinhas-do-brasil-nas-olimpiadas-de-toquio.ghtml Bia and Branca Feres, Brazil's synchronized swimming twins, will cover the Tokyo 2020 Olympics for BandSports' Lado B program. But before that, Branca will marry Gustavo Frota in June in Portugal during a 3-day event with family based there. We'll talk more about BandSports' programming details very soon--like, next week--that will include Bia and Branca, among other things: https://revistaquem.globo.com/Carnaval/camarotequem/noticia/2020/02/bia-e-branca-feres-vao-olimpiadas-de-toquio-com-programa-empolgadas.html For Eurosport Poland (or Eurosport Polska), we can expect its staff of Polish cycling sportscasters to appear for Tokyo getting involved--ambassadors Dawid Kubacki and the most successful Polish Olympian, Robert Korzeniowski. Experts and commentators include: Jakub Kot, Tomasz Sikora and Dariusz Baranowski, with recognized journalists Tomasz Jaroński, Marek Rudziński, Igor Błachut, Karol Stopa, Adam Probosz, Rafał Jewtuch, and Przemek Kruk, although not all named here may or may not be involved in reporting cycling and would head over to other Olympic sports. Polish viewers can also learn about the opinions of international Eurosport experts expected to be involved, among which there are many former world-class stars, including Martin Schmitt, Sven Hannawald, Mats Wilander, Boris Becker, John McEnroe, Alberto Contador, and Sir Bradley Wiggins as the roster takes shape: https://media2.pl/media/160263-Wiosna-pelna-sportowych-emocji-w-Eurosporcie.html Czech TV's (Ceska Televize) standard TV advertising price rates for this year's major sporting events will cost extra for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, the 2020 World Ice Hockey Championships, and Euro 2020 in comparison to the flat (unchanged, that is) TV ad rates of CZK 27,000 for a 20-second spot to an audience of 15+ years for other programming by 100% with the same events if no Czech Team representation by 50%. As part of expected revenues from advertising and sponsorship sales as well as barter operations to earn CZK 75 million more to reach CZK 483 million this year: https://www.mediaguru.cz/clanky/2019/12/ct-nezvysuje-cenu-reklamy-loh-ci-euro-jsou-ale-drazsi/ https://www.mediaguru.cz/clanky/2020/02/ct-ma-letos-navysit-prijmy-z-reklamy-a-sponzoringu-o-tretinu/ CT Sport had a profile on Czech mountain climber Adam Ondra for 15 minutes on Tema Pro Hosty last week on February 18 at 16:10 Czech time: https://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ivysilani/10127554193-tema-pro-hosty-ct-sport/320297371420003 Telenor, the Norwegian operator of Canal Digital, has signed "a new and forward-looking agreement" to distribute eleven Discovery channels (Kanal 5, Kanal 9, Kanal 11, Discovery Channel, Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2, TLC, Animal Planet, Discovery Science, Investigation Discovery and Animal Planet HD) in Norway, as well as the Dplay streaming service, that will pave the way for Eurosport's Tokyo 2020 coverage that will include surely those upcoming exclusive Olympic-specific channels: https://advanced-television.com/2020/02/12/telenor-discovery-carriage-agreement/ https://kampanje.com/medier/2020/02/ny-tv-avtale-mellom-telenor-og-discovery/

Former German gymnast Fabian Hambüchen, Rio 2016 gold medalist in the men's horizontal bars, announces at the SPOBIS Sports Business Congress in Dusseldorf he will perform double duty for Eurosport as both a gymnastics analyst and a German House reporter after already having some Eurosport reporter experience in Pyeongchang. Hambuchen misses competing, needless to say: https://www.sponsors.de/news/medien/hambuechen-vor-olympia-rueckkehr-als-tv-experte-wehmuetig-emotionale-geschichte ZDF and ARD had more personnel on site in Rio De Janeiro four years ago (480) than members of the 2016 German Olympic Team (452). ZDF chairman Thomas Bellut in a January press conference in Berlin says this time the ARD and ZDF broadcast center is on the Lerchenberg in Mainz with the NDR in charge of the ARD side. Both will have an "economical" joint team in Tokyo using a common sending facility, "much like we did in Korea." They will do parts of the final production, cutting equipment on the Lerchenberg with likely the majority there, and the carpenters are already present in Tokyo, Japan. Because Tokyo is very expensive, Ballut says, there's an attempt to limit the number there this time but he couldn't say the exact number of "adequate" staff bound for Tokyo yet working under time rules like everyone else, like cannot work around the clock But don't expect the Tokyo staff be more than the 2020 German Olympic Team based on that: http://www.planet-interview.de/interviews/zdf-pressegespraech/51248/ Eurosport Player from the digital platform upon its post-Pyeongchang 2018 improvements will have "every single minute shown" with coverage of all disciplines with a "digital-first approach" in better engagement with younger viewers that act as borderless communities across Europe in "passion verticals" including additional streams of live events, expert and technical insight that taps into viewers’ interests, segments on how athletes train, which uses VR, different camera angles and extra in-depth analysis, and using Golf TV (viewer matches and live streams, alternative angles, golfing tutorials and other interactive elements): https://www.ibc.org/manage/every-single-minute-of-tokyo-2020-to-feature-on-eurosport/4209.article Olympic cycling in all disciplines will come through France Televisions on France 2 and France 3 will the more fuller offering at France TV Sport on the digital side: https://www.3bikes.fr/2020/02/12/medias-la-saison-2020-a-suivre-sur-france-televisions/ Why is it solely BandSports and not with TV Bandeirantes on the free-to-air side covering this Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics this time? Left it exclusively to Globo and its 200 hours there. Simply put in one word, money. For two related factors. The Sao Paulo-based broadcaster lacks the funds it would have to pay an amount above R$50 million to the IOC with this one at a time when Band can't under its current financial condition. Time zone differential with Tokyo--12 hours between Tokyo and Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro--convinced Band that its TV audience and financial reward hopes weren't going to be there for the network when the desired competition for Brazilians will take place during the late night--early morning hours. Moreover, Record admits not getting involved this time for similar reasons as the Tokyo 2020 programming could coincide and interfere with the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God programming normally shown under those time slots. However it still likes to get itself involved with some big R$16 million ad revenue push through Brazilian athletes and Tokyo-related programming at that time. ESPN Brasil, as of early November, still has a shot in getting into this. But time is running short and fast for it: https://observatoriodatv.bol.uol.com.br/noticias/2019/11/falta-de-verba-e-fuso-horario-fazem-band-desistir-oficialmente-de-toquio-2020-na-tv-aberta https://observatoriodatv.uol.com.br/noticias/2019/12/mesmo-sem-direitos-de-transmissao-record-tv-quer-faturar-r-16-milhoes-com-olimpiadas-de-2020

Just yesterday Wikipedia's list of the 2020 Summer Olympics broadcasters had for Colombia Senal Colombia, RCN, and MSN for the online/cable side along with Caracol Television for the Colombia coverage. Tried to find some info on this via Google search and visiting the networks themselves. But no news of those three joining but still possible yet for this to happen. Perhaps still under negotiations as we speak. That detail was removed today. Don't see any reason why Senal Colombia and RCN can't participate again. Don't know the deal why MSN on the list. Barbados' CBC--no, not Canada's CBC but the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation--will provide the Tokyo 2020 Olympics coverage on CBC TV8 and on Multiple Choice (MCTV). We also know some introductory insight about SportsMax's Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics plans in the Bridgetown press conference: Sportsmax will produce over 864 hours live from Tokyo through two 24-hour HD channels that will be transmitting the action from Tokyo seven days a week also be providing to CBC. Tokyo Prime will be broadcast in the morning just after the completion of the nightly programming in Tokyo, as well as in prime time here in the region as a recap and review into the next day’s activity as separate programs during the day. Likely will be the case throughout SportsMax's reach in 22 places like the Commonwealth island nations and territories, Belize, Guyana, Suriname, Haiti, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. Expect lots of track and field/athletics-based coverage angles even before the competition starts while providing other sports: https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/02/10/cbc-to-provide-olympic-coverage/ Celine Dumerc, one of France's greatest and most decorated women's basketball players, will serve as a basketball analyst expert for France Televisions' Tokyo 2020 coverage as was announced on FT's Stade 2. Should form holds, she'll cover for the women's game like notably her former teammates, the very talented Les Bleues having just qualified again in Bourges, France, with a male, maybe Richard Dacoury again, covering the men's game: https://www.lequipe.fr/Medias/Actualites/Jo-2020-celine-dumerc-sera-consultante-pour-france-televisions/1108338 Rebecca Lowe will be in Tokyo for NBC's huge Olympic soccer coverage that's seemingly endless even days before the Opening Ceremony and will "have a little break" after August 10 "to be with her family while getting the Olympics out of my system" before tackling again England's Premier League: https://worldsoccertalk.com/2020/02/11/rebecca-lowe-opens-up-about-nbcs-premier-league-coverage-and-mentoring/ Add NowThis to NBC's Tokyo 2020 online/mobile coverage roster beginning in March on the US Olympic and Paralympic athletes-focused content that the video packages can be both digital/social media and linear platforms (although much of the NowThis Olympic content is "pre-Games focused right up to the Opening Ceremony" as the Paralympics version will be both pre- and in-Games): https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/nbc-olympics-enters-into-nowthis-content-partnership/ Looking at being a NHK summer intern for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Japan. Or any other business tied in to them. Problem is, either there is little interest to have them or they make an impact for their businesses: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/news_seminar/syukatsu/syukatsu296/

Discovery Finland, through the Eurosport Finland channels, Eurosport Player, and likely on TV5 since it has previous free-to-air Olympic TV broadcasting experience, will exclusively carry basketball, the newer 3x3 basketball format making its Olympic debut (both men's and women's) , and all the aquatics--swimming, water polo, diving, and synchronized swimming for Tokyo 2020. YLE on its TV2 and FST5/YLE Fem (Swedish) plans to freely carry everything else on TV and radio with up to five combined simultaneous broadcasts as part of an announced agreement just a couple of hours ago headlining a Discovery Finland/YLE 2022-2024 Olympic broadcasting agreement I think Discovery Finland selected basketball as one of its exclusive sports because of the rising popularity of basketball there given how the Finnish national basketball teams like the Susijengi (the Wolfpack) men's team successfully punching above its weight in recent international tournaments and staying there. That and Lauri Markkanen--injured as of this writing--successfully doing his thing with the Chicago Bulls as the sole Finn: https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2020/02/06/discovery-finland-ja-yle-ovat-solmineet-uuden-yhteistyosopimuksen

Masu Taichi (NTV), Ayaka Hironaka (TV Asahi), Shinichiro Yasumi (TBS), Yuka Takezaki (TV Tokyo), and Aimi Miyaji (Fuji TV)--I think that's all them correctly in sequence with right TV networks L-R--all appear in this 15-second promo aired on all those 5 TV networks and 114 TV channels nationwide announcing the historic and unprecedented 20-minute Let's Do This Together 2020 simulcast special at 6:40pm Japan on January 24: Those same 5 hosts with Tokyo 2020 mascot Miraitowa and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals from the live special that night in Tokyo:

As a major part of an integrated, massive, and ambitious Tokyo 2020 host broadcasting focus, all the Japanese commercial TV broadcasters from the Japanese Consortium--TBS, TV Tokyo, Fuji TV, Nippon TV (NTV), and TV Asahi--joined forces to set up a special website project devoted to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics under the campaign slogan "Let's Do It Together 2020" (Isshoniyarou-2020). Along with agreeing to have one commercial network play Olympic action for a day from the early morning to late at night while all the other non-NHK networks sideline themselves, they designated a singular broadcast theme song for Tokyo 2020 instead of each network having one this time (NHK will still have its own). In this case, it's longtime popular Japanese singer Keisuke Kuwata performing SMILE--Like The Clear Sky. A song that premiered days ago in late January, January 24 on a Friday to be exact, through the special integrated "Let's Do It Together 2020! special" program simulcasted live for aptly 20 minutes from 6:40pm Japanese time on all the 5 normally rival Japanese TV networks and the song began airing on 114 TV stations nationwide. Also it looks as though Tokyo 2020 Olympic online/mobile streaming for the Japanese commercial TV networks will be handled through Gorin.jp. First video has all the personalities from TBS, Fuji TV, Nippon TV, TV Tokyo, and TV Asahi at various program they show all happily and seemingly together pulling the rope to signify the unity and "doing this massive TV Olympic project together" and speaking why with "Smile" as the soundtrack music. I can't identify many of them since I don't really know Japanese TV very well (actually haven't seriously take the time to do so), but if someone out there who does and can translate the dialogue, please do. A few of the shows looks like Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader Japanese version, 99 Walls, and there's Sunday Japon's sets because I can spot some English on their sets: Keisuke Kuwata's music video to the Let's Do It Together 2020 Japanese commercial TV project "Smile--Like The Clear Sky". Set on a building rooftop a stone's throw away from the new Tokyo Olympic Stadium before being inside it on the medal podium. The joining forces program was hosted by someone from each of the 5 Japanese networks and very likely involved in the broadcasts: Masu Taichi (NTV announcer), Ayaka Hironaka (TV Asahi Announcer), Shinichiro Yasumi (TBS announcer), Yuka Takezaki (TV Tokyo announcer), and Aimi Miyaji (Fuji TV announcer):　 This song will obviously get used in various social initiatives, joint projects, programs, various events, sports scenes, etc., among many other scenes this year and performed under the spirit of "Let's Do It together" and meant to convey various emotions when watching this year's Summer Olympics either by yourself or sharing the moments with family, friends, and/or strangers. It's like the Canadian Host Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium's "I Believe/J'Imagine" for Vancouver exactly a decade ago that "Smile" reminds me of across the various Canadian Bell and Rogers-owned TV networks: https://isshoniyarou-2020.jp/

Eurosport Germany plans to present its daily live broadcasting coverage directly from Tokyo's German House starting from 5pm CET with support from the commercial arm of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), Deutsche Sport Marketing, and, continuing on from what Eurosport Germany did at Pyeongchang two years ago, will show one live broadcast directly from the venue every day. But disappointing ratings and reception like from the Pyeongchang evening show forced some tinkering to include more German content with the pan-European and more results and highlights. Those and the German public being accustomed to Olympic TV watching on ZDF and ARD: https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/eurosport-to-broadcast-from-german-house-eyes-improved-olympics-highlights-audience/ Team GB's London 2012 long jump gold medalist and British long jump record holder Greg Rutherford joined the Eurosport UK Tokyo 2020 sportscasting team in July. Rutherford will interview star athletes and be an expert analyst at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium during the track and field competition, be at the Olympic Village for behind-the-scenes access with Team GB athletes to follow them more, present short features heading up to Tokyo 2020, and other things as a roving reporter at multiple Olympic events: https://www.eurosport.com/olympics/tokyo-2020/2020/gb-olympics-legend-rutherford-joins-eurosport-s-tokyo-2020-line-up_sto7345591/story.shtml Former swimmer Kosuke Kitajima was appointed as NHK's Tokyo 2020 Olympic Broadcasting Athlete Navigator on the TV show Arashi. It's an increasing role major Olympic broadcasters are using to get former athletes tap into the insight and mentality of Olympic athletes as they train, plan, and compete. Kitajima will largely focus on the Japanese contingent https://sports.nhk.or.jp/tokyo2020/nhkinfo/191219.html Hong Kong's Tokyo 2020 broadcasting rights, still at HK$270 million, still makes TVB skittish because it knows, with reserves in bank and cash balances of HK$854 million as of June 30, it will not recoup in ad sales revenue amid a slowing HK national economy and the unstable social situation--and is turning to the Hong Kong government for subsidizing the costs. Doubt seriously if RTVHK wants some of the Olympics coverage on its TV channels. Can't recall it handling sports all that much. Pay-TV operator Now TV and terrestrial station ViuTV are reportedly set to bid jointly in compliance to the requirement that Olympics must be shown on free-to-air TV like the ceremonies and that 200-hour broadcast minimum to show key events and/or relay certain hours of events: https://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/section/11/213278/TVB-tunes-off-talk-of-Olympic-bid-pullback Belgium's RTBF has some big plans forthcoming for the French-language Belgian Tokyo 2020 coverage right after the other major sports project that summer in Euro 2020 soccer. Teasing it will have "dozens of hours of television broadcasting [coming on at La 2] and a multitude of additional streams on Auvio": https://www.rtbf.be/sport/autres/detail_l-annee-2020-sera-sportive-sur-la-rtbf?id=10401980

Already mentioned on the NBC Sports press release and on Variety and TechCrunch, which the latter two delve into further detail. But will mention the following here. Moreover, Snap will curate daily Our Stories during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games and event coverage during the 2020 Team USA Olympic Trials from Olympic photo and video content generated by fans, Team USA athletes, journalists and influencers, as well as behind-the-scenes content from NBC. All parties will capture things like life in the Olympic Village and highlight Tokyo’s food, music, art and nightlife with easy usage to submit in the public Our Story. Then the Snapchat editors "will edit into one story and add graphics and text to provide additional context." Like to see Peacock and the NBC Sports app include these as part of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics programming roster. Snap's two daily Olympics highlights shows--one overall and one single event--premiere in June with the other two, the daily NBC Olympic studio show and Chasing Gold, both coming in July. All are obviously intended for NBC and Snap expanding through their third consecutive Olympics partnership to capture the desired young 12-35 American demographics, many of which use Snapchat daily, with advertisers at a time there's serious cord-cutting from them. Social media and Internet platforms are starting to make real money like for NBC but won't generate huge revenue by themselves yet: https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/nbc-tokyo-olympics-snapchat-daily-shows-1203476764/ https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/23/nbc-partners-with-snapchat-on-four-daily-shows-for-2020-tokyo-olympics/ France Televisions bring aboard surfer Justine Dupont and the ex-snowboarder Mathieu Crépel to comment on the surfing, accompanied by resident play-by-play guy Christian Choupin, at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games starting in July from Chiba. Crépel has already commented for France Televisions on snowboarding at Pyeongchang but eager to learn about "those big waves" (surfing shares some similarities with snowboarding and skateboarding) and may later take part in the Tokyo skateboarding expertise, but Dupont makes his Olympic TV broadcasting debut here: https://fr.sports.yahoo.com/news/jo-2020-médias-justine-dupont-133600108.html https://fr.sports.yahoo.com/news/surf-justine-dupont-mathieu-crépel-135500194.html Basic early info about TVP Polska and its upcoming Summer Olympics coverage. TVP Polska is the place to be for the Polish TV broadcasting coverage of Tokyo 2020 through TVP1, TVP2, and TVP Sport and will place heavy emphasis on showing every Polish Tokyo 2020 Olympian performance. Online/mobile streaming will be available at sport.tvp.pl. Eurosport Poland will also show them, although the only detail made known is of course everything from Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics will get made available through online streaming on Eurosport Player: https://www.eska.pl/cinema/news/olimpiada-tokio-2020-transmisja-w-tv-online-gdzie-obejrzymy-io-tvp-eurosport-aa-ieiB-vnL3-2zzS.html TVR Moldova's Objectiv Commu (Common Objective) took a look at and discuss the preparations of hopeful future champions for the Olympics and about the most important sports competitions transmitted to TVR MOLDOVA on Tuesday in the countdown the joy, pain, agony, preparation, qualification, desire, impatience, and determination in the quest for an Olympic medal. Guests of this show were Nicolae Jurevschi--president of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Moldova; Andrei Golban--President of the Judo Federation of the Republic of Moldova; Anastasia Nichita--European wrestling champion in wrestling and already qualified for Tokyo that was apparently hosted by Elena Gutu with an accompanying report featuring a couple of Moldovan judokas on their Olympic prospects. This Common Objective show started at 5:00 pm Moldova time and can be watched live on TVR MOLDOVA, live on Facebook, and tvrmoldova.md: http://tvrmoldova.md/recomandari/despre-pregatirea-sportivilor-din-romania-si-republica-moldova-pentru-tokyo-2020-discutam-astazi-la-obiectiv-comun/ In a related story from Romania and Moldova about TVR, the TVR Board of Directors pulled the plug on TVR HD late last year not only as the other TVR channels make their much anticipated digital transition to HD but also speaking of the failure to convert TVR HD into a worthy sports channel after TVR kept losing the Romanian TV broadcasting rights in team handball and soccer: https://www.prosport.ro/fotbal-intern/adio-canal-de-sport-la-tvr-consiliul-de-administratie-al-postului-public-a-decis-sa-retraga-licenta-tvr-hd-18933313