IOC awards Japan TV rights in 4-games, $1b deal

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- The IOC has awarded the Japanese broadcast rights for four Olympics through 2024 in a deal worth 110 billion yen ($1 billion).

A consortium including NHK and the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association secured the rights Thursday to the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, as well the 2022 Winter Games and 2024 Summer Olympics, whose host cities have yet to be chosen.

The deal covers broadcast rights across all media platforms, including free television, subscription TV, internet and mobile.

The $1 billion rights fee represents a 61 percent increase from the previous eight-year period.

The Japanese consortium had signed a deal in 2012 for the rights to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi and 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

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