Rio 2016 Olympic Media Update

[neneu10]

Globo renewed with IOC until 2032 Olympics

http://www.surtoolimpico.com.br/2015/12/globo-conquista-os-direitos-de.html

[Durban Sandshark]

CBC Sports boss Greg Stremlaw named CBC Olympics GM and chef de mission yesterday:

https://cartt.ca/article/stremlaw-head-cbc-radio-canada%E2%80%99s-rio-2016-olympic-games-coverage

[Durban Sandshark]

Telstra is believed to be among the principal sponsors for Seven's Rio 2016 Olympic coverage (as well as the Australian Open in Melbourne) through TV, online, tablet, and smartphone/mobile that the network shored up. You'll know when it's all officially announced soon and when the Rio promos from down under feature the sponsors tacked at the end. I think Qantas is among them too:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/seven-serves-up-new-app-for-australian-open-and-summer-of-tennis/news-story/4cbf6ffc83b1dd5ae05275c51045df4a

In a related story from Australia, the Aussie advertisers, media buyers, and private FTA TV channels like the Seven Network are looking forward towards a better year of revenues with the Rio Olympics, the Australian general elections, and even a census looming next year to bounce back to increase volume and rates with. The Summer Olympics are always good for Australia:

http://www.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/an-olympics-an-election-and-a-census-why-the-ad-market-will-bounce-back-in-2016-20151204-glffjz.html

Keeping with the business side of things, NBC and TiVo announced a comprehensive cross-platform measurement partnership hours ago for the upcoming Rio 2016 Summer Olympics that extends to online and mobile, social media as well as television:

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/264658/tivo-realitymine-strike-olympic-measurement-deal.html

http://advanced-television.com/2015/12/14/tivo-nbc-partner-for-olympic-data/

After that abysmal debacle that was Team Austria's performance in London 2012 Olympics with NO medals to show for it, the Austrian Olympic andf Paralympic Committees and the Austrian Sports Ministry got together launching a Projekt Rio 2016 website, app, and multiple platforms like online:

http://www.projektrio.at/

http://derstandard.at/2000013979584/Eine-App-und-viel-Topfen-vor-Rio-2016

NOS' NPO 1 and nos.nl had Technical Director of NOC * NSF Maurits Hendriks as a guest in the NPO studio and with Dafne Schippers, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Marianne Vos and Nouchka Fontijn telling about their expectations for 2016 a couple weeks ago back in November on Studio Sport Zondag in The Netherlands. There were also Olympic-related nominations announced for the NOS Sport Awards later that day:

http://nos.nl/artikel/2071981-de-sport-van-zondag-bij-de-nos.html

SporTV counting up to 16 with each of the London Olympians wearing a number up to that in promoting the 16 Olympic channels Brazilian viewers will watch their hometown Games next year:

I wonder if NBC will do something for the Christmas holidays to promote their Rio 2016 coverage along with what they premiered from Thanksgiving. You can best be sure those profiles of those athletes from that promos stressing family had their "up close and personals" filmed for its massive coverage.

[Durban Sandshark]

Cayman 27 is among the first TV channels in the Caribbean to sign for the Olympic rights from CANOC's broadcasting arm for Rio 2016 in the Cayman Islands as its broadcast home there. It was announced on Let's Talk Sports by CANOC Broadcasting CEO Larry Romany for unprecedented coverage towards the West Indies so that every single Olympian from the Caribbean gets face time on TV. Is the sports reporter here Canadian?

http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2015/12/10/cayman-27-olympic-coverage-to-focus-on-caribbean

FLOW in the Carribean in association with the CBC (the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation) presents a dedicated Olympic television service with ESPN as the lead broadcaster of 12 channels covering every Olympic sport going down in Rio De Janeiro. ESPN as of this writing is in the process of selecting or have already selected regional personnel to do the commentaries and the analysis of the game. So FLOW will be talking with the various sporting committees in the islands with respect to establishing similar relations, as announced in Bridgetown, Barbados. Article has emphasis on Barbados and its Olympic focus with FLOW the telecommunications giant investing in the local Olympians to the Barbados Olympic Association with a 5-year $500,000 check and a giant flat screen TV:

http://www.barbadostoday.bb/2015/12/08/major-deal/

And with that C

FLOW's promo for its Rio 2016 coverage as the key broadcast platform with the obvious emphasis on the Caribbean Olympians from Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago like Keshorn Walcott, George Bovell, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Lalonde Gordon, Njisane Phillips, and of course Usain Bolt:

[Durban Sandshark]

And with that, Cable & Wireless launches FLOW Sports Channel, a 24/7 sports network, like America Movil did with Claro Sports weeks ago that will show Rio 2016 that will be shown in for sports fans on the Flow network in Antigua, Barbados, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago that also includes a mobile service Flow On The Go like in the Bahamas:

http://stluciatimes.com/2015/11/24/launches-flow-sports-network

http://www.flowsports.co

http://www.bahamaislandsinfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22697:btc-launches-flow-tv-the-competitive-option&catid=52:Visual%20Arts&Itemid=182

Plus come August FLOW Sports will have newly-constructed, state of the art studio venues in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago:

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20151201/sports/new-sports-channel-hits-cable

France Televisions' Rio 2016 Olympic broadcasting production costs will likely be limited by reducing the number of teams on location with next year's budget in a bid to save money for the state broadcaster:

http://www.lesechos.fr/tech-medias/medias/021567095623-france-televisions-vise-lequilibre-1185672.php

[Durban Sandshark]

We can certainly forget about Josh Elliott being the heir apparent to Bob Costas as Olympic anchor host now:

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/people/heir-apparent-elliott-out-as-nbc-host-of-olympics-racing-telecasts/

Hans Chrunak is no longer with SVT. Could he make the jump towards Viasat/TV3/TV10 for Rio next year to cover the swimming there. Possible:

http://www.expressen.se/sport/det-ar-alltid-svart-att-saga-nej-till-ett-os/

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No, print media will not be neglected in this thread. Hope to bring it more prominence than ever here. Right now, Self magazine has US soccer star Alex Morgan as a cover story in its current issue--January 2016. Time has a photo essay collection in its outlook towards 2016--the one with Adele on the cover--on American Olympic hopefuls for Rio like Alyson Felix and Mariel Zagunis.

Karl Malone--no, not The Mailman--spoke at the SVG Summitt to interestingly reveal NBC's Olympic coverage technical plans in Rio De Janeiro. No surprise coverage is planned out right now for all 42 sports with "D-Day-like efforts" in the ramping up to it that will exceed that of Sochi 2014. A 75,000-sq.-ft. IBC, with the vast majority of the audio produced in 5.1 surround, while large, operations will be more efficient and leaner without the burden of copper, thanks to more implementation of Dante networked audio, Ethernet fiber, and IP transport. Commentary, comms, and ambience audio will also be sent over IP, as will the audio from both non-traditional and conventional venues and OB trailers. For golf, diving, volleyball, and men’s basketball, custom flypacks will be used. But no dedicated surround mikes planned:

http://sportsvideo.org/main/blog/2015/12/18/svg-summit-nbc-sports-karl-malone-offers-peek-into-rio-planning/#sthash.88J4zJKd.dpuf

RAISport will air the Italian women's volleyball team, also known as the Azzurri like with many other national sports teams, during its pre-Olympic volleyball tournament campaign live this January 4-9 in Ankara, Turkey starting with Belgium, Russia, and Poland as its group opponents

http://www.oasport.it/2015/12/volley-torneo-qualificazione-olimpiadi-2016-in-diretta-tv-su-raisport-italia-a-caccia-di-rio/

We know for sure Rio 2016 tennis on Italian TV will be on RAISport. Bad news, it will not be as much of a priority on its three channels. Serves as a case for greater expansion of Olympic-specific channels or should've shared it with SKY Italia. So if any Italian hoping for more wall-to-wall Olympic tennis, he or she wil have to head towards rai.tv streaming for the fuller coverage:

http://www.ubitennis.com/blog/2015/12/28/tv-e-rete-la-guida-tv-per-il-2016-sempre-i-soliti-noti-ma-la-rai-ha-il-jolly-chiamato-rio/

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.ubitennis.com/blog/2015/12/28/tv-e-rete-la-guida-tv-per-il-2016-sempre-i-soliti-noti-ma-la-rai-ha-il-jolly-chiamato-rio/&prev=search

Some of the former Brazilian Olympian stars from recent past Summer Olympics move toward other Olympic-related capacities after their careers are over with the massive Olympic show heading to their backyard next year like former gymnast Daiane Dos Santos for Globo:

http://odia.ig.com.br/esporte/2015-12-05/estrelas-do-esporte-encaram-novos-desafios-apos-o-termino-da-carreira.html

TVR is not only the exclusive Romanian TV home for Rio 2016 but also the 2016 and 2018 European Women's Handball Championships:

http://sptfm.ro/2015/12/23/tvr-anunta-ca-va-transmite-exclusiv-jocurile-olimpice-din-2016-si-europenele-de-handbal-feminin-din-2016-si-2018/

Surely there will be more developments as we get into the new year.

[Durban Sandshark]

Optus signs a 10-year undisclosed deal with the Australian Olympic Committee that will start with Rio 2016 as the official telecommunications partner for the Australian Olympic Team. Mind you, this has nothing to do with Optus' coverage plans because the Seven Network has the Australian media exclusivity:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/optus-scores-10-year-olympics-deal/

Of course, the Golf Channel celebrates the sport's return to the Olympic program in 100 years as NBC showcases the Rio Olympics!

[Durban Sandshark]

First post here in the new Olympic year!

There will be an increase in the TV advertising spending with the Summer Olympics this year BUT it will projected to be modest--and can get much worse next year without that and the presidential election. Unlike perhaps in Australia:

http://advanced-television.com/2016/01/04/btig-predicts-amazon-will-create-standalone-video-service/

Recording artists Ivete Sangalo, Toni Garrido, Preta Gil, Gaby Amarantos, Ana Carolina, and Thiaguinho, several of Time Brasil's Olympians along with its godmothers and godfathers, and some of Globo TV personalities got to together at Globo's studios in Rio De Janeiro late this past month to make a new video and theme song penned by Jair Oliveira and Simoninha for the hometown Brazilian Olympic Team that of course Brazilians will hear constantly leading up to like in upcoming promos and all throughout Globo's Olympic TV and radio coverage with consent from COB. Even Ginga, Time Brasil's mascot makes an appearance with footage of great recent Brazilian Olympic moments. Think a little more elaborately-scaled and profiled "I Believe" from Vancouver. Video can be seen here that premiered on Fantastico:

http://globoesporte.globo.com/olimpiadas/noticia/2016/01/com-ivete-e-thiaguinho-time-brasil-ganha-musica-tema-para-o-rio-2016.html

Meredith Veira will be there down in Rio for NBC this summer soon after news of her two season-old daytime NBCU talk show just got cancelled hours ago today due to low ratings inside a cutthroat personality-driven daytime TV landscape, where a show is not just competing in its time slot but with varied other programming there. Surely she will be involved in the Opening Ceremony co-hosting and maybe some anchor work, which she did a nice job filling in for the eye-infected Bob Costas in Sochi:

http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/meredith-vieira-show-canceled/280903

[Durban Sandshark]

TVP Sport, TVP1, TVP2, and its sports website sport.tvp.pl is right now covering the men's and women's national volleyball teams' Olympic qualification campaigns in Berlin and Ankara, respectively. Volleyball (siatkowka as it's known there) is very popular in Poland, even bigger than basketball but still below soccer. TVP Sport exclusively does the women's matches starting with the Polish women's group games and onto the semis, third-place, and qualification final (last two online). Right now though, the Polish women, in the same group as Italy, Belgium, and Russia, very likely won't qualify to Rio after losing their first two matches to Russia and Belgium

http://www.sport.pl/siatkowka/1,65103,19342559,rio-2016-tvp-pokaze-turnieje-kwalifikacyjne-siatkarek-i-siatkarzy.html

http://www.telemagazyn.pl/artykuly/siatkowka-turnieje-kwalifikacyjne-do-igrzysk-w-rio-plan-transmisji-47647.html

http://www.sport.pl/sport/1,144964,19432434,serbia-polska-rio-2016-darmowy-stream-online.html

http://www.dziennikzachodni.pl/artykul/9230817,plan-transmisji-turniejow-kwalifikacyjnych-siatkarek-i-siatkarzy-do-igrzysk-olimpijskich-w-rio,id,t.html

Looks as though TVP Regional will join TVP1, TVP2, TVP Sport, and TVP INFO in getting the Polish TV coverage for Rio 2016.

[Durban Sandshark]

Panasonic reveals details of its technical role in providing the globally-beamed colorful imagery and visuals through its equipment at both the Rio 2016 Opening and Closing Ceremonies working closely as an "official ceremony partner" down in Rio De Janeiro at CES 2016 in Las Vegas yesterday:

http://www.sportsvideo.org/2016/01/05/live-from-ces-panasonic-details-role-at-opening-closing-olympic-ceremonies/

2016 US men's Olympic boxing trials were on in December:

http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2015/12/12/usa-olympic-boxing-trials-live-stream/

Speaking of CES, the building of uncompressed 4K UHD content is on this new year with the likes of even Netflix getting on the act. Newer and updated set-top boxes and select 4KTV models will get more advanced with HDR and 60 frames-per-second 4K playback capabilities with Comcast and DIRECTV all hoping to showcase this with NBC=produced Rio Olympic content this summer:

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20160106_LIVE_WIRES.html

Been wondering what kind of role would a game console like the XBOX ONE will do with its expandable storage drive up to at least 1TB and USB 3.0 storage device. Its current generation rival, the Sony PS4, is built more like for serious gamers and not really for other entertainment-oriented and multimedia purposes, though it's changing apparently since its release. Honestly I don't own any console presently. Like to get both for different reasons. Not an option right now economically. I remember being at the Microsoft store in my hometown, the only one there in the area, and saw some streaming footage on display from the 2014 FIFA World Cup. No soccer action, more like live camera action with multiple camera angles, teams getting off the bus, and of course game highlights. Surely if NBC gets capabilities with perhaps apps or streaming capabilities onto it and the PS4, it will handle multiple streamings, live and on-demand like say with SPORTV/Globo is working on worldwide with TV programming guides along with its built-in TV capabilities and even cloud storage. Maybe for a small fee or not that may include a second screen and option for many angles and languages if needed like heading over to Telemundo's Spanish-language commentary instead of NBC's English one or back. Or English Canadian coverage on CBC, TSN, and Rogers Sportsnet and the French on Radio-Canada Television and RDS. It already holds some integration with laptops, smartphones, and desktops. Hope it will be more integrated with other brands.

Also am curious as to whether NBC might hook up with the likes of Netflix in offering streaming coverage. Apparently, its NBC Sports Live app is involved with and available through Amazon.com that has its own streaming programming content. Wanted to get a link on this but was not available. Surely we'll get details on this.

12 Croatian Olympic water polo players pose for a calendar:

http://www.hrt.hr/311218/magazin/zgodni-vaterpolisti-na-kalendaru-za-2016

Since London 2012, Croatia's HRT expanded its TV channel roster to two additional channels in HRT3, principally movies, and HRT4, the doc and news channel. But in Sochi, coverage was still on HRT2 like it was since it started the Croatia Olympic TV since 1992. My guess this time for Rio is that the surely-expanded Croatian Olympic TV coverage will come from HRT 2 and HRT 4.

Estonia's ETV and ETV2 will broadcast a combined 300+ hours of live coverage of Rio 2016, roughly half of what ETV devote to sports this year, that will focus on wrestling, swimming, fencing, soccer, basketball, sailing, and gymnastics with Olümpiastuudiod Tallinn Rios anchoring the news and take up all the competition days. However, this time ETV's Olympic coverage will not include track and field since that's exclusively belonging to Viasat's TV3 Eesti as part of a broadcasting agreement with MTG's Viasat Baltic to have a select Summer and Winter Olympic sport that's immensely popular in each of the Baltic nations to cover on Viasat's FTA channels that the ERR public broadcaster can't touch in this cycle. In Lithuania surely it will be basketball (and maybe Latvia too as the national team is very close to obtaining a berth in the men's OQT). With Sochi 2014's case remember that was figure skating (Estonia and Lithuania) and ice hockey (Latvia). Naturally it will place special focus on its Estonian Olympians like Mart Sejm, Gert Kanteri, Epp Mae, Heiki Nabi, Deniss Karpak, Ingrid Puusta, and Karl-Martin Rammo. Yes, it will be on HD quality there.

http://elutark.delfi.ee/tv/milliseid-spordivoistlusi-naitab-eesti-televisioon-2016-aastal?id=73364119

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=et&u=http://elutark.delfi.ee/tv/milliseid-spordivoistlusi-naitab-eesti-televisioon-2016-aastal%3Fid%3D73364119&prev=search

[Durban Sandshark]

NBC Sports Network is broadcasting the USA women's volleyball team qualification quest starting today from Lincoln, Nebraska at the Pinnacle Bank Arena (the home of national powerhouse Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team and its basketball teams) starting with Canada in the NORCECA Olympic Qualifier after falling just short during the FIVB World Cup finishing third as the #1 ranked team:

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2016/01/07/akinradewo-to-help-team-usa-try-to-earn-2016-olympic-bid

http://www.nbcneb.com/home/headlines/Lincoln-USA-Volleyball-Team-Ready-for-Olympic-Qualifier-364467891.html

Latvia's LTV7 is getting ready for its comprehensive Rio 2016 Olympic coverage with a humorous promo to start things when LTV7's upcoming Rio sportscasters Armands Tripāns, Davids Ernštreits, Maris Rīmenis and Reinis Ošenieks each try to get in vain the white parrot named Charlie in the studio to repeat saying the name of a Latvian Olympian like Maris Strombergs, Rio, Olimpiske Speles, and Latvijas Televizija into the mic. Pretty original. Latvian viewers may not get a Rio equivalent to Misja: Vankuvera and Misja: Londona this time. Still don't know as of yet officially what the coverage will be overall though with Viasat's TV3 Latvija:

http://berzins.lv/ltv7-rio/

http://ltv.lsm.lv/lv/raksts/20.08.2015-ltv-cels-uz-rio.-davids-ernstreits.id54598/

http://ltv.lsm.lv/lv/raksts/20.08.2015-ltv-cels-uz-rio.-reinis-osenieks.id54595/

http://ltv.lsm.lv/lv/raksts/20.08.2015-ltv-cels-uz-rio.-armands-tripans.id54597/

[Durban Sandshark]

Goran Zachrisson will definitely get involved with golf play-by-play down in Rio. But he says he'll involved with other things for Viasat--likely the ceremonies I think--while finding a dogsitter for his new dog:

http://www.expressen.se/sport/zachrisson-arets-prestation-ar-storst/

[Durban Sandshark]

Now the Italian men's and women's water polo teams get their respective turns in the Rio 2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament broadcasting treatment from RAI and RAISport 1 in Belgrade's Kombank Arena, Serbia this week when facing at least Spain, Germany, Serbia, France, and Croatia (women) and Romania, Germany, and Georgia (men's):

http://it.blastingnews.com/sport/2016/01/europei-pallanuoto-in-tv-calendario-e-orari-10-23-gennaio-l-italia-cerca-il-pass-per-rio-00725019.html

France 2 and France 3 will alternate in sharing the combined 350 hours of broadcast of the upcoming Rio 2016 Summer Olympics starting August 5:

http://www.programme-tv.net/news/sport/77247-football-tennis-rugby-jo-l-annee-2016-sera-sportive-sur-france-televisions/

With Gerard Holtz expected as one of its presenters:

http://www.francedimanche.fr/infos-people/tele/gerard-holtz-je-serai-absent-du-dakar-cette-annee-par-amour-pour-muriel%E2%80%89/

[Durban Sandshark]

TV3 will once again act as the hub for the Swedish Viasat Olympic TV coverage from Rio 2016 with 70% of it with TV10 acting as junior partner. Both once again will primarily focus on the Swedish Olympians with them as greater priority like their medal hopefuls. Caroline Kluft, Ola Westernhof, and Nicholas Jihde will on hand in Rio as studio anchors on both channels. There will also be at least 12 dedicated channels on the Viasat pay-tv side to cover it more comprehesively: Viasat OS Sport, Viasat OS Fotboll, Viasat OS Golf, Viasat OS Ridsport, Viasat OS Handboll, Viasat OS Tennis, plus extra channels Viasat OS 1-6:

http://www.expressen.se/sport/sa-sander-viasat-os-i-rio-de-janeiro--2016/

Jenny Kallur is the latest ex-athlete/coach to join Viasat's/TV3's Rio 2016 Swedish sportscasting team. She'll be help cover track and field as an analyst, specifically the track events, while her twin sister Susana ("Sanna") attempts her comeback to make the Swedish Olympic Team Other members of the Viasat's Rio 2016 track and field sportscasting team are Frida Nordstrand as trackline reporter, track coach Jonas Mellblom, and commentators Per Forsberg and Robert Tennisberg:

http://www.expressen.se/sport/friidrott/jenny-kallur-klar-som-viasat-expert-i-os/

[Durban Sandshark]

The following are some general details regarding Viasat's and TV3/TV10's Swedish Olympic TV/online/mobile Rio 2016 coverage:

--Maximum coverage of the Olympic Games through the Olympic duration 12 dedicated Olympic-specific sports channels without commercial interruptions
--Sweden's best sports commentators and experts on Viasat/TV3/TV10
--Viaplay and Viasat TV To Go always included - see missed Olympic sports programming for up to 48 hours afterwards by experiencing Rio 2016 live and on-demand on your TV, mobile, tablet and PC
--The best Olympic clips, interviews and analysis on Viasatsport.se

On TV3/TV10's side of things

--The best of the Rio 2016 events on TV3 and TV10 with Sweden's best sports commentators and experts from Viasat with TV3 getting the bulk of the coverage on FTA since it reaches 60%+ of Sweden
--Carefully placed advertising breaks
--Special emphasis on Swedish athletes and medal hopefuls competing and "sports of national concern" where fans can follow Sarah Sjostrom, Usain Bolt, and the Swedish national football teams

Viasat says that it will broadcast a total of 2000 hours (is all that going to be live or will it also include repeats through the channels?) from Rio De Janeiro this August, the biggest and most comprehensive Summer Olympics coverage in Swedish TV history. Will delve more soon.

https://www.viasat.se/rio-2016
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=sv&u=https://www.viasat.se/&prev=search
http://www.viasatsport.se/rio2016/

Sweden's Viasat OS Rio 2016 sportscasting team. Mind you, some sports have yet to have their Viasat reps announced like equestrian, basketball, and table tennis. Won't show all table tennis matches, though, because Viasat's brass knows what the viewer wants, they say:

Program leaders/Studio anchors: Ola Wenström, Carolina Klüft, Niklas Jihde.
Reporters: Frida Nordstrand, Johan Kücükaslan.
Track and field: Carolina Klüft (studio anchor), Jenny Kallur (expert), Jonas Mellblom (expert), Robert Tennisberg (commentator), Per Forsberg (commentator),
Swimming: Janne Blomqvist (commentator), Petra Granlund (expert).
Tennis: Robin Söderling.
Wrestling: Janne Blomqvist (commentator), Martin Lidberg (expert).
Cycling: Robert Tennisberg (commentator), Susanne Ljungskog (expert).
Soccer: Glenn Strömberg (expert), Lars Lagerbeck (analysis).
Taekwondo: Dragomir Mrsic (expert, reporter).
Golf: Goran Zachrisson (commentator)

http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/sportitv/article22083147.ab
http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/os2016/article22080557.ab

Automotive, technology and health care industries headline the diverse advertisers willing to shell NBC's Rio 2016 coverage money for upwards of $1 billion with a special emphasis on the mobile/online realms over the past two months. Already exceeding London:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jan/14/nbc-says-olympics-ad-sales-on-pace-to-exceed-1-bil/

The Dutch women's volleyball team on their march to Rio qualification against Russia in the Euro final in Ankara, Turkey was among the notable features for NPO Nederland 2's Studio Sport and nos.nl along with speedskating stars Sven Kramer and Ireen Wust at the European speedskating championships this past Saturday (there with the latter, on NPO 1):
http://nos.nl/artikel/2079442-de-sport-van-zaterdag-bij-de-nos.html

NOS article previewing the upcoming 2016 year of sport for the Dutch channels and online from speedskating (both types) to cycling to Olympic volleyball qualification to Eredivisie soccer to the French Open to Euro 2016 (Zlatan played at Ajax, which explains we see plenty of him under that segment with no Oranje to look forward to seeing there in France) to of course Rio 2016 with companion promo video:
http://nos.nl/artikel/2078239-de-sportkalender-van-2016.html

We can certainly see commentators Danny Nelissen (cycling), Léon Haan (track and field/athletics), and Arno Vermeulen (soccer) all taking part in Rio
http://nos.nl/artikel/2078504-commentatoren-verwachten-mooie-sportzomer.html

ORF certainly is confident 2016 will provide meaningful advertising sales with its upcoming coverage of Euro 2016 and Rio 2016 on ORF 3, ORF Sport +, orf.at, and TV Thek to 220.3 million euros:
http://medianet.at/article/mit-rio-euro-in-ungeahnte-vermarkterische-hoehen-7550.html
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://medianet.at/article/mit-rio-euro-in-ungeahnte-vermarkterische-hoehen-7550.html&prev=search

M4 Sport is the newest channel among MTVA's and Duna TV's stable that got launched July 18. And it looks as though it will lots of play this summer with Rio 2016 (where the bulk of the Hungarian TV Olympic coverage likely will be), Euro 2016, the Paralympics, and the Tour De France along with possibly M2:
http://24.hu/media/2016/01/06/uj-igazgato-a-kozszolgalati-m4-sport-elen/
http://dailynewshungary.com/hungarys-public-media-to-launch-new-sport-channel-m4-on-18-july/

TVE Espana will broadcast the European men's handball championship from Denmark, at least Spain's group games, this weekend that offers direct Olympic qualification to Rio. Sportscasters are Paco Caro (play-by-play), Alberto Urdiales (analyst), and Lourdes García Campos (sideline reporter):
http://www.radiointereconomia.com/2016/01/14/teledeporte-emitira-en-directo-el-europeo-de-balonmano-masculino-en-polonia-2/

In case you missed it from Expressen, this is the Jenny Kallur interview upon joining the Viasat OS 2016 sportscasting team

[Durban Sandshark]

Just yesterday with some apt timing following the Viasat Sweden's public announcement of its Rio 2016 coverage plans, Viasat Sport Baltic Lithuania premiered its first promo for the upcoming coverage. With this being Lithuanian, you certainly spot the figures who made London 2012 definitely one of Lithuania's finer Olympics with gold medalists swimmer Rūta Meilutytė, modern pentathlon Laura Asadauskaitė (final Olympic winner in London), silver medalist canoeist Jevgenijus Šuklinas, and the Lithuanian men's basketball team in their moments captured along with international Olympians like Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sally Pearson, Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, and Tom Daley in a campaign promoting them and other Olympians as "superheroes". You'll also notice the Viasat Sport Baltic logo here is more in the Latvian flag/national colors at the end:

Anticipation (and some serious concentration) for US athletes like Phelps and Felix at the start for Rio 2016 in this well-made 15-second promo. The hurdler's name, I can't get to right now. But will later

Canal+ Sport and radio station Radio Monte Carlo each premiere Rio 2016-themed magazine preview show this month in the coming days. RMC's is called RMC Inside Rio that will interviews and profiles with some of France's top Olympic stars in diverse sports like Tony Parker, Yannick Agnel, Clarisse Agbegnenou, and Kevin Mayer. Canal+'s is entitled Rio: le mgazine des Jeux Olympiques hosted by Thomas Thouroude that will also have in the first edition former world and Olympic champion Teddy Riner followed with a doc Intérieur Sport at the 200-day mark in the countdown. Coming January 22:

http://www.lequipe.fr/Medias/Actualites/Rmc-et-canal-lancent-deja-leurs-jo-2016/621927

http://www.lezappingdupaf.com/2016/01/a-pres-de-200-jours-du-debut-des-jeux-olympiques-de-rio-2016-5-au-21-aout-canal-sport-lancera-le-vendredi-22-janvier-a-22h45-rio-le

1500m silver medalist from London 2012 Leonel Manzano got to film some NBC promos in Los Angeles this past fall during his time off from the middle distance season:

http://www.dailytrib.com/2015/12/23/olympian-leonel-manzano-warming-up-for-a-big-2016/

[TeamBlakeUSA]

This Promo For NBC Is Anticipation.

[Durban Sandshark]

Look for NBC Rio 2016 Olympic promos starring Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, and Candace Parker coming soon:

http://www.usab.com/basketball/media/galleries/2015/11/nbc-olympics-shoot.aspx

Viasat Eesti's brief Rio 2016 teaser promo for the Estonian market

SporTV, "the channel of champions" had several of its daily programs involved in live coverage of events with Olympic news, special reports, and interviews at the Minas e Praia Club along with women's Superliga Volleyball during the 200-day mark in the Rio 2016 countdown like with host Milton Leide with triple Olympic champions coach Jose Roberto Guimaraes, coach of the women's volleyball team, and the Olympic champion yachtsman Robert Scheidt:

http://sportv.globo.com/site/programas/sportv-news/noticia/2016/01/segunda-do-sportv-e-marcada-pelos-200-dias-para-olimpiadas-rio-2016.html

Robin Soderling's Viasat interview after being named the tennis commentator for (mostly) the OS-Tennis channel and will write columns for Viasat. Soderling says he's ready for this. He's already commentated a few tennis tournaments at this point after having an ill-fated comeback:

http://www.viasatsport.se/nyheter/tennis/soderling-ny-os-expert-for-viasat-har-mott-de-flesta-av-spelarna/

America Movil's Claro Sports will offer multiplatform coverage of this year’s Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. For the first time in Latin America (except Brazil, of course), subscribers will be able to access up to 20 Olympic events live streaming simultaneously on a range of devices, from desktop computers to tablets and smartphones. Even selecting the camera angles:

http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/carlos-slim-america-movil-content-investment-1201682666/

[Durban Sandshark]

Viasat Estonia will broadcast 1000 hours of live Olympic coverage from Rio De Janeiro this August to Estonians through Viasat Sports Baltic Xtra and six extra Olympic-specific channels with Estonian commentary on the pay-TV side:

http://sport.delfi.ee/news/varia/muu/ligi-1000-tundi-otseulekandeid-ja-spordisaateid-viasat-loob-rio-olumpia-ajaks-kuus-telekanalit?id=73467495

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=et&u=http://sport.delfi.ee/news/varia/muu/ligi-1000-tundi-otseulekandeid-ja-spordisaateid-viasat-loob-rio-olumpia-ajaks-kuus-telekanalit%3Fid%3D73467495&prev=search

Seven Network's "comprehensive, innovative multi-platform and technologically advanced [Australian] Olympic Games coverage ever seen with its all-encompassing delivery across all communications devices of the Games in Rio de Janeiro" presented by its parent company SevenWest Media will feature coverage every single event live on 36 streaming channels. Seven, 7TWO, and 7Mate combined 900 hours all will get streamed along with a 24-hour Olympic news channel free online and mobile through 7's newly-launched app. 7's big Rio 2016 Olympic subscription price is still TBD but will be "closer to the event". For some Aussies, they hope for more live Olympics action and less anchors sitting on the desks providing highlights and replays.There will be those who won't be happy until, unrealistically, every event is shown live on the 3 Seven FTA channels:

http://mumbrella.com.au/seven-set-to-launch-subscription-tv-service-as-part-of-massive-olympic-games-coverage-311189

[Durban Sandshark]

In keeping with the consistency with the Estonian version of Viasat Sport Baltic, Lithuania's version will be exactly like Viasat Eesti with 6 channels involved and 1000 hours live with a professional all-Lithuanian sportscasters. Basketball starring the Lithuanian men's basketball team will headline Viasat Sport Baltic Lietuva's Rio 2016 coverage on its channel, which will total 300 hours alone overall on that channel. Basketball, to nobody's surprise if you seriously know the Lithuanian sports scene, will be exclusively shown on Viasat's TV3 Lietuva and on tv3.lt online, making it a very popular portal and channel like with Eurobasket 2015. Viasat will have a 24-hour Olympic News Channel too and surely the other channels will be called Viasat Sports Olympic Xtra like the Estonian and Latvian versions. As far as TV3 Latvija's exclusive sports coverage would be, it can be basketball just like its southern Baltic neighbor (hasn't been officially announced yet). Will be some emphasis towards all the Lithuanian Rio Olympians like their Estonian and Latvian counterparts will do.

Funny the Viasat press release says it will capture every moment of the Rio Olympics from beginning to end but there's going to be far more than 1000 hours of what going to be televised unless it's a reference to live material with scheduling conflicts moving others to tape-delay. NBC, for example, no doubt will have at least north of 1500 TV hours not counting online and the Spanish coverage for Rio 2016. I'm sure Viasat Sports Baltic and Viasat Sverige will make greater promotion of its coverage, including its fuller hours, soon:

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=lt&u=https://www.viasat.lt/node/11134&prev=search

https://www.viasat.lt/node/11134

Canal+ Sports is the exclusive French TV broadcasting home to see the 2016 FIBA Olympic Basketball Qualification Tournaments, men's and women's, where Les Bleues are both featured. Women's tournament is in Nantes and Canal+ will cover all three men's groups in Torino, Belgrade, and Manila/Pasay:

http://www.fiba.com/news/fiba-and-french-broadcaster-canal-strike-up-exclusive-deal-for-2016-fiba-olympic-qualifying-tournaments

Just like with Bob Costas, there will come a period where even Al Michaels must have a worthy successor to help out with the Olympic coverage and be an anchor. Michaels, under his current NBC contract, has up to 2017. He'll reprise his role as anchor for NBCSN's afternoon coverage on weekdays and come on NBC proper on weekends in Rio like in Sochi, I'm sure. Michael's brain and health are still solid. Richard Dietsch suggests Mike Tirico (ESPN), Ian Eagle (CBS), and Sean McDonough (ESPN). None will come cheap in prying away, especially Tirico with ESPN being so good to him. Like to see Eagle get some Olympic action and see he can transfer his style that's oh so good for football and basketball to an Olympic sport that's neither. Long shots are FOX’s Kevin Burkhardt, FOX and NBC’s Kenny Albert, and Westwood One’s Kevin Harlan. Be curious as to what those three will offer with their respective experiences to the Olympic challenge. Harlan will undoubtably bring some enthusiasm, excitement, and energy to whatever he calls. Albert has abundant play-by-play calling experience. Should baseball and softball get back into the Olympic program in the near future, it would be nice to see Jessica Mendoza analyzing. However, that will be in the heart of the MLB season with her firmly experienced with ESPN by then and perhaps some more Little League Baseball:

http://www.si.com/more-sports/2016/01/17/al-michaels-sunday-night-football-baseball

In SuperSport Maximo, the Portuguese-language sports channel, does it import Portuguese commentators from Brazil, Portugal, Angola, and Mozambique to cover the select sports events with interest to the Portuguese community likely in the Rustenberg-based studios or just let it carry on with none whatsoever?

Globo/SporTV certainly is miles ahead and more than ready in presenting their grand and ambitious Brazilian Olympic coverage plans than their national partners/rivals Band, Record, FOX Sports Brasil, and ESPN Brasil so far. After all, it's the official host broadcaster, so the Globo better got a move on much earlier like with its heavily-hyped Time Ouro. You'd think from last year as fellow host broadcasters there will be much more news to Band, Record, FOX, and ESPN Brasil. Nothing there largely but silence--not even meeting about their plans except for Alvaro Jose and Sabrina Sato, who would be returning from her Thailand vacation. Record has a sports staff already to utilize--we can see many of the same faces that we saw with Vancouver/London/Sochi to take part, if not all of them. Maybe the others are more fixated on Carnival on Band and Record right now:

http://tvefamosos.uol.com.br/colunas/flavio-ricco/2016/01/21/band-e-record-ainda-nao-se-mobilizam-para-a-olimpiada-globo-esta-pronta.htm

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=pt&u=http://tvefamosos.uol.com.br/colunas/flavio-ricco/2016/01/21/band-e-record-ainda-nao-se-mobilizam-para-a-olimpiada-globo-esta-pronta.htm&prev=search

TRT Spor showed the just-completed women's Olympic volleyball tournament in Ankara starring the Red Sultanas in Turkey.

Maybe Sir Rols and TNMP can help me answer with this one: what radio stations do SevenWest Media own and lend coverage to in Australia for the upcoming Rio 2016 coverage because so far, there's no sketch details as of yet.

ORF Sport + premiered yesterday the preview documentary "Rio vor Olympia“ hosted by Michael Bergen on 20:15 (8:15pm) Austria/Central European Time:

http://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20160119_OTS0143/orf-sport-mit-der-dokumentation-rio-vor-olympia-und-den-highlights-von-der-faustball-wm-der-herren-in-argentinien

Ian Bowker is working on a pre-wired flypacks project, 4 in total, that will connect to each other and cameras with only 30 minutes to get connect at the different venues for NBC down in Rio:

http://www.nhbr.com/January-22-2016/Video-on-demand/

Little more details on TVE's coverage of the 2016 Men's European Handball Championships in Denmark with also RNE and RTVE.es providing additional coverage along with Teledeportes from the TV side:

http://www.rtve.es/rtve/20160114/europeo-balonmano-2016-se-juega-rtve-seleccion-espanola-busca-medalla-plaza-directa-para-jjoo-brasil/1284188.shtml

You can best be sure Facebook's brand spanking new Sports Stadium, launched in time for the Super Bowl, will get lots of play worldwide for Rio 2016 with some tweaks and improvements as part of the additional platform additions along the way:

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2016/01/21/facebook-launches-a-sports-hub-just-in-time-for-the-super-bowl/

http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/21/facebook-wants-sports-stadium-to-host-your-big-game-chatter/

Hope that Westwood One Sports Radio will get more comprehensive in its coverage of Rio 2016 on the US radio side instead of bringing up just sound bite highlights from the announcers. That is, if the affiliates for it allow them. If the fuller coverage can be made on the station's substations (that not many people still don't yet have access to simply due to accessible technological limitations like their radios can't accomodate that), Still early though on the plans. Will return to that later.

[Quaker2001]

Just like with Bob Costas, there will come a period where even Al Michaels must have a worthy successor to help out with the Olympic coverage and be an anchor. Michaels, under his current NBC contract, has up to 2017. He'll reprise his role as anchor for NBCSN's afternoon coverage on weekdays and come on NBC proper on weekends in Rio like in Sochi, I'm sure. Michael's brain and health are still solid. Richard Dietsch suggests Mike Tirico (ESPN), Ian Eagle (CBS), and Sean McDonough (ESPN). None will come cheap in prying away, especially Tirico with ESPN being so good to him. Like to see Eagle get some Olympic action and see he can transfer his style that's oh so good for football and basketball to an Olympic sport that's neither. Long shots are FOX’s Kevin Burkhardt, FOX and NBC’s Kenny Albert, and Westwood One’s Kevin Harlan. Be curious as to what those three will offer with their respective experiences to the Olympic challenge. Harlan will undoubtably bring some enthusiasm, excitement, and energy to whatever he calls. Albert has abundant play-by-play calling experience. Should baseball and softball get back into the Olympic program in the near future, it would be nice to see Jessica Mendoza analyzing. However, that will be in the heart of the MLB season with her firmly experienced with ESPN by then and perhaps some more Little League Baseball:

http://www.si.com/more-sports/2016/01/17/al-michaels-sunday-night-football-baseball

The least of NBC's concerns is replacing Michaels on Olympic coverage. Their one and only concern is Sunday Night Football. That's what the replacement will be hired for. If it's someone like Tirico with hosting experience, consider that a bonus.

[ofan]

Ian Eagle has experience calling track and field. They'll need a replacement for Tom Hammond soon too.

[Quaker2001]

Ian Eagle has experience calling track and field. They'll need a replacement for Tom Hammond soon too.

I don't think Tom Hammond had much track & field experience before they put him in that role for the `92 Olympics (which had been Charlie Jones in 1988 in Seoul before they moved him over to swimming that year). His background was mostly horse racing, so it probably translated well over to track & field, even though he was only a mid-level NFL announcer at the time.

No question NBC will need someone new for track & field, possibly as soon as 2020, but if they're going to try and lure someone from another network, there needs to be more on the plate than that. That's why I said earlier that the Sunday Night Football post is the big prize. Anything else below that is secondary.

[Durban Sandshark]

SNF is NBC's showcase and more frequent sports cash cow, obviously. ESPN would be loathed to let him go seduced by the mountain pile of cash NBC Universal could dump; after all, he's the sportscaster for the equally lucrative NFL TV institution in Monday Night Football and premier NCAA football games like the National Championship Game. He's practically nationally raised on ESPN.

Ian Eagle could be the one--and capable doing both SNF and Olympic track and field as Ofan says. Surely he'll mesh well with Chris Collinsworth.

Caster Semenya got a short film profile on SABC 3's 21 ICONS this week:

http://drum.co.za/entertainment/semenya-gets-short-film-feature/

M4 Sport Hungary at the Olympic Water Polo Tournament in Belgrade with both Hungarian national water polo teams:

http://24.hu/sport/2016/01/01/vizilabda-ilyen-volt-2015-milyen-lesz-2016/