Austrian public broadcaster ORF have agreed a sub-licensing deal with Discovery Communications ©ORF

Austrian public broadcaster ORF have signed a sub-licensing agreement with Discovery Communications to show coverage from the Pyeongchang 2018 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Under the terms of the deal, which is described as a “long-term partnership”, ORF will have free-to-air audio visual and radio rights for their channels, while they will also have selected digital content.

Eurosport, owned by Discovery, has rights to air all of the Olympic Games action on their pay-tv German language channels in Austria, as well as their digital and mobile platforms.

It is claimed that the agreement will enable Austrian audiences to watch the both the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics and Tokyo 2020 Summer Games across multiple screens, enabling them to see all medal events involving the country’s athletes.

“With the acquisition of the rights for the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games from the Olympic rights holder Discovery, we are able to offer our Austrian sports fans the most important winter and summer sports events in full extent and in the usual top quality,” Alexander Wrabetz, ORF director general said.

“It is that proven and internationally well recognised quality of ORF sports reporting that made a contractual partnership with Discovery possible.

“Knowing that their product is in the right hands, my thanks go to Discovery and also to the negotiating team of the ORF under the direction of Hans Peter Trost and Martin Szenercsi.”

A total of 5.6 million people watched the London 2012 Olympic Games in Austria, with the number increasing to 5.9 million – 81 per cent of the population – for Sochi 2014 via ORF.

A total of 5.6 million Austrians watched the Sochi 2014 Olympics Games on ORF
A total of 5.6 million Austrians watched the Sochi 2014 Olympics Games on ORF ©Getty Images

The agreement is the latest to be announced after Discovery signed a contract with the IOC last June, which will see Pan-European television sports network Eurosport become the continent's Olympic broadcaster.

Deals with RTÉ Sport in Ireland and Croatian Radiotelevision were announced earlier this month, with similar agreements having already been achieved with BBC in the UK, NOS in The Netherlands, YLE in Finland and CTV in the Czech Republic.

“We have secured a ground-breaking Olympic partnership for viewers in Austria, ensuring that the Olympic Games remains accessible to the broadest possible audience and delivered to the highest standard,” said Kasia Kieli, President of Discovery Networks Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.

“The agreement is a perfectly example of how Discovery will deliver more coverage of the Olympic Games, across more screens than ever before.”