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HD+ Triple-Screen for London Olympics, ELTA Secures Broadcast Rights
July 27, 2011
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, five channels (2 HD + 3 SD) were broadcast, setting a new record in Taiwan since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics for the most Olympic channels and longest broadcast time in a single event, making ELTA TV on MOD famous overnight. For the 2012 London Olympics, ELTA TV obtained the exclusive broadcasting rights for Taiwan — marking the first time in Taiwan’s Olympic broadcast history that a non-terrestrial TV station became the general agent.
After long negotiations, ELTA secured the exclusive broadcasting rights for the London Olympics in Taiwan, covering terrestrial TV, cable TV, and new media. Following the 3D broadcast of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, this was another pioneering achievement for ELTA TV. The goal was to allow sports fans in Taiwan to watch the world’s greatest sporting events live, in full, and in real time. Even IOC President Jacques Rogge said, “We are delighted to continue working with ELTA after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.” ELTA TV CEO Sally Chen remarked:
“We are also very pleased that ELTA has obtained the broadcasting rights for the London 2012 Olympics in Taiwan. Since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, ELTA has been an official partner of the International Olympic Committee. The Beijing Games marked a new milestone for ELTA in the new media industry. In this rapidly developing digital era, we will continue to create more services for our audience.”
Looking back, since the Beijing Olympics, ELTA TV has been a broadcasting partner of the IOC. In 2008, ELTA was Taiwan’s first media company to broadcast the Olympics in HD. It was also the exclusive broadcaster for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. For the highly anticipated 2012 London Olympics, ELTA TV once again became Taiwan’s exclusive broadcasting agent. With multiple past collaborations, IOC Executive Committee Member Richard Carrión, who led the negotiations, praised ELTA highly, saying: “ELTA possesses advanced technology and cross-platform broadcasting experience, proving that they are an excellent Olympic broadcast partner. We eagerly look forward to working with ELTA in Taiwan for the Olympics.”
From a technical perspective, ELTA’s CTO, Chih-Yi Cheng, pointed out that ELTA started as a technology company and has extensive experience in three-screen cross-platform broadcasting (TV, internet, and mobile). Combined with its exclusive 3D World Cup broadcasts and thousands of hours of HD production experience, these are ELTA’s core strengths. In response to the government’s Digital Year policy, ELTA will introduce over 2,000 hours of HD Olympic coverage — the most comprehensive ever. Cheng stated that the 2012 London Olympics will be broadcast entirely in HD, offering high resolution and crystal-clear visuals that will deliver an exceptional viewing experience. To allow more viewers to enjoy HD quality, ELTA also plans to collaborate with other media channels to broadcast the London Olympics and cheer for Taiwan’s athletes together.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics marked the birth of ELTA TV on MOD; the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and Singapore Youth Olympics documented ELTA’s growth and maturity; and the 2012 London Olympics will be the moment when ELTA TV spreads its wings and soars high. A new HD vision, a new cross-platform experience — stay tuned for ELTA’s triple-screen (winning) broadcast of the 2012 London Olympics!