The upcoming Olympic Channel locked in its slew of agreements for its launch later this year, inking deals with 27 International Sports Federations to provide content for the platform. The channel will offer fans live sports events, news and athlete stories, as well as historical Olympic footage and official films from the IOC’s archives with a focus on educational and youth-oriented programming, sustainability, sports science and nutrition, and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. Included in the slate of deals are FIBA, the International Gymnastic Federation, the International Ice Hockey Federation, the International Ski Federation, the International Tennis Federation, United World Wrestling and the World Archery Federation. Overall, the Olympic Channel Services team now consists of more than 60 full time employees, representing 20 different nationalities.
“The Olympic Channel will mark a major shift in how the Olympic Movement connects with young people all year round,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “The International Federations have embraced the Olympic Channel and we look forward to working with them on the exciting programming and promotional opportunities. The newly formed Olympic Channel team is making steady progress, with the emphasis on ensuring the product is right and the quality of the programming matches our ambition. We look forward to announcing the 2016 launch date in the coming weeks.”