Zug, Switzerland – Infront Sports & Media, the leading international sports marketing company, has secured a media rights agreement with Azam Media for exclusive broadcast coverage of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Tanzania. Operating as exclusive media rights partner to the International Olympic Committee, this is the latest contract to be sealed as part of the campaign to increase exposure for the Olympic events on the African continent.
The IOC mandate refers to media rights distribution in 43 countries and territories in Sub-Saharan Africa. Taking a collaborative approach, Infront is supported operationally by the France based international sports event television and organisation agency TV Media Sport (TVMS) to fulfil it.
The new agreement with the private free-to-air broadcaster Azam Media in relation to Tanzania comprises the exclusive rights for free-to-air transmissions across all platforms – terrestrial, satellite and cable TV, as well as (non-exclusive) internet and mobile. The live/delayed feed will be on its DTV and ZBC2 channels – with at least six hours of daily coverage from the competitions ensured, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.
Rhys Torrington, CEO of Azam Media, commented: “With the athlete delegation from African countries forming a significant and successful part of the Olympic Games for over four decades – it is more than time to transmit their performance and successes to the people back home. We look forward to featuring such a prestigious event as the Rio 2016 Olympics in our programming portfolio and are convinced that it has the potential to draw audiences in the millions – particularly in the most popular sports disciplines such as athletics, swimming, boxing and football.”
Stephan Herth, Executive Director Summer Sports of Infront, said: “Similar to many other Sub-Saharan countries, this is the first time ever that Tanzania will receive such an extensive coverage of the Olympic Games. Our target is to further boost visibility for the Olympic sports events across Africa and underline the globally integrative character of the Olympic Movement. We look forward to announcing additional agreements in the near future.”
As part of the media rights mandate for Sub-Saharan Africa, Infront together with TV Media Sport (TVMS) are producing a specific broadcast feed, tailored for an African audience, and comprising six to nine hours of live content every day, as well as daily highlights and news programmes. This includes a focus on African athletes and the most popular competitions, with the programming being further enhanced with commentary in French, English and Portuguese.
TV Media Sport is an international sports marketing company, dealing with media rights and event management, specialised in the African continent. TV Media Sport, through its unique network of local partners, is recognised as a major operator with strong and credible relay in all regions of the African continent. Its philosophy is to bring prestigious worldwide sporting events to Africa and to bring local events out of Africa.
Infront Sports & Media is the most respected sports marketing company in the world, managing a comprehensive portfolio of top properties. Led by President & CEO Philippe Blatter, Infront covers all aspects of successful sporting events – including distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production and event operation – and has won a reputation for its high standards of delivery. As the number one player in winter sport and with a leading role in football and summer sports, Infront enjoys long-lasting partnerships with 160 rights-holders and hundreds of sponsors and media companies. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Infront has a team of experienced staff working from 25 offices across 13 countries, delivering 4,000 event days of top class sport around the world every year.