The Associated Press reports the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) has put the idea of its own television network “on pause” for now, acting CEO Stephanie Streeter said Wednesday, although she still believes a network would help Olympic sports that get little – if any – attention between games.
Streeter said in a keynote address to the U.S. Olympic Assembly, “I continue to believe – as does the IOC, I think – that a properly planned and structured U.S. Olympic Network will deliver great benefits to the entire Olympic and Paralympic movement and to all of you” adding …”I’m looking forward to engaging in that dialogue in full partnership with the IOC in the future”.
The idea of a USOC network was dropped last month following a dispute between the USOC and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which threatened to harm Chicago’s 2016 Summer Olympic Games bid. The IOC was worried about offending NBC, the network that reportedly provides the IOC’s largest revenue with a $2.2 billion deal to broadcast the 2010 and 2012 .
Streeter said, “simply put, we miscalculated the negative response. While we received many positive statements of support at home and from international members of the Olympic and Paralympic families, we have put the network on pause”.
