RTVE may not broadcast Tokyo Olympics

According to the newspaper Trademarks, RTVE could stay for the first time in history without broadcasting the Olympic Games.

The sole provisional administrator of the public entity, Rosa María Mateo, confirmed this:  “For the first time in its history, RTVE could remain without broadcasting an Olympic Games. "

There is no budgeted item for the rights of Tokyo 2020

"The current budget of RTVE is that of 2018, which has been extended, and does not include resources to meet the costs necessary to broadcast the Olympic Games".

Mateo, who recognizes that the dissemination of the Games is a “priority” issue for RTVE, has contacted the acting Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, and her counterpart of Culture and Sports, José Guirao,

"RTVE's current budget is that of 2018, which has been extended, and does not include resources to meet the costs necessary to broadcast the Olympic Games"

A letter has been sent to the Acting President, Pedro Sánchez

Mateo has sent a letter to the acting President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, in which he states "the importance and relevance of the Olympic Games for Spaniards and for all citizens living in the country".

It is negotiating for rights

Mateo has revealed that they are negotiating "intensively and tirelessly" with the rights owners with "the hope of finding a satisfactory result for all".

On June 29, 2015, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) sold the rights to television and all kinds of digital platforms for the 1.300 PyeongChang Olympic Games for 2018 billion euros, Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022 and Paris 2024 - the latter two were not yet headquartered at the time - to Discovery Communications, the company that owns Eurosport.

The agreement is circumscribed throughout Europe with the exception of Russia, although in France and Great Britain it only includes the Olympic editions of 2022 and 2024, since the rights of 2018 and 2020 had previously been acquired by other television platforms.

200 broadcast hours are guaranteed

If RTVE could not finally broadcast the Tokyo Games it would not imply that they are not seen open. In fact, the IOC's agreement with Discovery Communications guarantees a minimum of 200 hours of free broadcasts.

It takes between 50 and 60 additional millions to buy the rights

A senior official of the public entity recognized in July this year the newspaper El País that  RTVE needed between 50 and 60 additional millions to be able to buy the rights of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

According to his testimony, all European public televisions, except those in Spain and Belgium, had bought those rights from Discovery Communications.