2014-16 broadcast rights to top $4 billion: IOC

By Karolos Grohmann

DURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) - Broadcast revenues for the period covering the 2014 and 2016 Olympic Games will exceed $4 billion, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge said Thursday.

Earlier this month, the IOC sealed a four-Games deal with NBC Universal from 2014 to 2020 worth $4.38 billion while also announcing days ago separate deals for France, South Korea and Germany with varying contract lengths.

Rogge said the 2014-2016 period, which includes the Sochi winter Olympics and the Rio de Janeiro summer Games, had already generated $3.2 billion with several major territories still outstanding.

"The (total figure for 2014-2016) should be substantially higher than $4 billion," Rogge told the IOC session.

In comparison broadcasting rights revenues for the 2010-2012 period had totaled $3.9 billion while the 2006-2008 period brought in $2.6 billion in broadcasting rights revenues.

The 2018-2020 period had already secured $2.6 billion, boosted by the recent U.S. deal with NBC.

"The IOC finances are solid," said Rogge, adding that the IOC had a consolidated surplus of $592 million as of May 2011 compared to $466 million at the end of 2009.

The IOC's top marketing program was also improving, having secured $957 million for the 2010-2012 Games with 11 sponsors compared to $866 million for the 2006-2008 Games period.

The marketing figure for the 2014-2016 Games already stood at $921 billion with nine sponsors having signed up for that period and one or two more expected to join.

The IOC does not release individual contract figures with its top sponsors though companies pay around $100 million to sign up for a two-Games package.

(Writing by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Peter Rutherford To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)