Sport1, the German pay-television sports broadcaster, has today (June 30) announced the securing of extensive rights to the 2022 World Games, the quadrennial multi-sport event that this year will be held in Birmingham, US, from July 7 to 17.
The broadcaster will cover over 100 hours of action from the games across its 10 days both on free-to-air linear TV and digital streaming platforms.
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The network, which also covered the inaugural edition of the World Games, in Poland in 2017, has secured the rights to the second-ever tournament through a deal with International Sports Broadcasting (ISB), the Spanish firm which sells media rights on behalf of the International World Games Association (IWGA) governing body.
A total of 320 German athletes – the second-largest contingent from all nations – are expected to take part in 120 medal events in Birmingham, Alabama, over the course of the World Games.
In addition to its live broadcasts, some of which the broadcaster has said will extend to over 10 hours daily, Sport1 will also offer highlight summaries.
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Pit Gottschalk, chief editor and chief content offer of the Sport1 management board, said: “Our anticipation is very great to give these numerous fascinating sports, which are otherwise not often in the spotlight, here in the German-speaking world, the big media stage with more than 100 hours of coverage.”
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By GlobalDataJoachim Gossow, chief executive of the International World Games Association (IWGA), added: “What we can promise today is that the World Games 2022 will offer great sporting experiences again. This is because only the world's best athletes in each discipline will compete in Birmingham. Practically everyone performing at our event has a chance of winning a medal.”
Last week, the IWGA outlined deals with broadcasters in over 60 countries for World Games coverage, also saying at that time that it was close to landing a deal with a German network.
Domestically, the national network CBS (now called Paramount) will showcase highlights of the action, through a deal struck in July last year.
Regional deals, meanwhile, include tie-ups with sports heavyweight ESPN in Latin America, and Abu Dhabi TV in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
In Europe, nations with coverage deals in place include France (L’Equipe), Spain (RTVE), and Poland, the host of the 2017 edition (Polsat).
Founded in 1981, the World Games are held the year after the Olympic Games, and feature disciplines not on the Olympic program.
The Birmingham event was due to take place last year only to be put back 12 months to avoid a clash with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which were postponed to 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The IWGA has said that it is seeking a deal with the Olympic Channel – run by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – to show the World Games via live streaming in all markets without a broadcast deal in place.
