alt REVENUES from broadcasting and new media rights for the 2010 and 2012 Olympics will rise nearly 40 per cent from the previous two-Games package, the International Olympic Committee said today.

 

"The rise is close to 40 per cent," Richard Carrion, IOC Executive Board member and a negotiator for the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Games package said.

 

Revenues are set to be in excess of £1.5 billion.

 

The IOC received about £1.25 billion for broadcasting rights for the Turin 2006 Winter Games and the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics.

 

The bulk of the revenues for the 2010-2012 package will come from American broadcaster NBC which is paying £1.1  billion.

 

The European Broadcasting Union has added another £307 million.

 

Deals are still to be completed in Japan, Italy, Latin America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

 

"Obviously in some territories the dollars are a lot smaller (compared to U.S. and European deals)," Carrion said.

 

IOC Marketing Director Timo Lumme said the new way of selling the rights - to a single "gatekeeper" per territory who then sub-licences to traditional and new media - had boosted revenues.

 

"About 15 percent for 2010-2012 will come from new media," Lumme said.