The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the continent’s association of public-service broadcasters, has renewed its rights deal with the European Olympic Committees (EOC) to continue showing the European Games multi-sport event through 2031.
The agreement was announced today, with one year to go until the 2027 edition in Istanbul.
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Under the enhanced agreement, the EBU will continue to provide media rights distribution, with EBU members and partner broadcasters expected to bring extensive free-to-air coverage of the European Games to audiences across Europe.
Eurovision Sport, the EBU’s free streaming platform, will also offer complementary coverage to fans worldwide.
The fourth edition of the European Games will be held between June 16 and 27, 2027.
Europe’s quadrennial multi-sport event will feature the continent's top athletes across 26 sports. Istanbul 2027 will offer more than 100 direct Olympic qualification places.
The extended partnership also creates a long-term framework spanning two Olympic Games cycles.
The EBU aired the event for the first time for its third edition in 2023, delivering free-to-air and digital coverage across Europe.
EOC CEO Jan Lehmann said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with the EBU and ensure that Istanbul 2027 reaches audiences right across Europe. The European Games bring together the continent's finest athletes at a critical moment on the road to LA28, and it is essential that their performances are showcased on free-to-air television for fans everywhere to follow and enjoy.
“Reaching fans through both free-to-air television and digital streaming, this partnership ensures that no moment of Istanbul 2027 goes unseen.”
Andreas Aristodemou, Director of Olympics, EBU Sport added: “The European Games have become one of the most important milestones on the road to the Olympic Games, bringing together Europe's best sporting talent at a defining moment in their Olympic journey. Extending this partnership through 2031 reflects our shared ambition to give the event and its athletes the visibility they deserve.
“EBU members play a vital role in connecting audiences with Olympic sports throughout the year, following athletes' journeys from European and World Championships through to the Olympic Games themselves. This agreement allows us to continue telling those stories across two Olympic cycles, from the road to LA28 through to Brisbane 2032.
"Together with our streaming platform Eurovision Sport, our members will provide unparalleled visibility for athletes, sports, and federations through comprehensive free-to-air and digital coverage of Istanbul 2027, ensuring audiences can follow Europe's next generation of Olympic athletes as they pursue Olympic qualification."
The European Games launched in 2015, with the inaugural edition taking place in Baku. Subsequent editions were staged in Minsk (2019) and Kraków (2023).
Earlier this month, the EBU also extended its significant rights tie-up with the European Athletics governing body.
Through that contract renewal, the EBU's members will continue to provide free-to-air coverage of a wide range of European Athletics events until the end of 2031.
The current tie-up between the two parties, announced in August 2018, runs through the 2020-27 cycle.
