ESPN buys Olympic TV rights for South America
by AP
Posted: 11.12.2009 at 8:54 AM

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — ESPN has bought the South American broadcast rights to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and 2012 London Games.

The International Olympic Committee announced the deal Thursday but did not disclose the value.

ESPN takes over from the Iberoamericana Television Organization (OTI) group of networks which broadcast each summer Olympics since the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The OTI paid $29.75 million to broadcast the 2006 Turin Olympics and 2008 Beijing Games.

ESPN's deal covers free plus pay-television rights in Argentina; all pay-TV rights in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay; and satellite-only rights in Venezuela.

The agreement doesn't cover Brazil.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Barrington Broadcasting is a member of the AP Network.