NBC keen on Olympics TV rights bid

DENVER – NBC plans on bidding for rights to televise the 2014 and 2016 Olympics despite the US Olympic Committee’s decision to build a competing Olympic network.

NBC spokesman Brian Walker said Sunday that nothing had changed in the network’s intentions to bid for the games.

Because of the rough economy, the International Olympic Committee has postponed the bidding for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics, likely until after the 2016 Games are awarded in October. Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo are the finalists.

NBC has televised all Olympics since 2000. Fox, the ABC Sports-ESPN team and CBS and Time Warner have also discussed bidding for the games.

The IOC sent a letter last week chastising the USOC for announcing plans for its new network, saying it raised complex legal questions and also could have a negative impact on the relationship with NBC.

The USOC worked for nearly three years on constructing a network. That included negotiations with NBC, whose cable partner, Universal Sports, already airs a healthy amount of Olympic-sport coverage.

Those negotiations fizzled and the USOC teamed with Comcast, which will give the network clearance on about 10 million homes when it goes to air after next year’s Vancouver Olympics. The USOC, which doesn’t have non-Olympic-year rights to most of the major Olympic sports, plans to start with mainly small-sport coverage, news and information shows and archival footage.

USOC leaders are touting the network as a good way to increase interest in the Olympic movement and as a complement to NBC, which has rights to the 2010 and 2012 Olympics and Olympic Trials.   (AP)