• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, July 11, 2013

Tokyo-based Dentsu Inc. is now an Olympic broadcasting rights holder. The ad giant has secured the broadcasting rights for several Central Asia countries to the Sochi (Russia) 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the International Olympic Committee has confirmed.

The countries that Dentsu has secured the rights for include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Dentsu confirmed that it plans to seek out media companies in those countries and then sub-lease the rights to those entities.  

It’s also possible, if not likely, that Dentsu could negotiate advertising deals on behalf of its clients during the course of talks to re-sell the broadcast rights. However, a Dentsu rep issued a “no comment,” when asked whether that was part of the plan.

The rep also declined to comment on whether Dentsu is pursuing the Olympic broadcast rights to other regions. He did confirm that to date, the company has the rights to just the five countries confirmed by the IOC.

The rights acquired by Dentsu cover all online and off-line media distribution platforms, according to IOC Finance Commission Chairman Richard Carrion, who led the negotiations. Carrion noted that the broadcast market in the territories where Dentsu has rights “is rapidly developing. This agreement will mean that high-quality broadcast of the games is made available on a variety of platforms.” The deal also “guarantees that both Sochi and Rio will be available on free television,” Carrion added.

“We believe in the immense potential of sports broadcasting rights in these territories,” stated Kiyoshi Nakamura, executive officer, Dentsu Inc. “Dentsu will ensure that we fulfill our commitment to contributing to the Olympic Movement through this opportunity.&rdquo ;