South korea: South Korea's media watchdog on Friday hosted a public forum, inviting experts to discuss public access rights to global sporting event broadcasts amid controversy over limited access to this year's Winter Olympics following JTBC's exclusive TV coverage.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Media Communications Commission (KMCC) hosted the event amid growing public complaints over limited access in light of JTBC's exclusive rights to air the Summer and Winter Olympics from 2026 to 2032, as well as the World Cup through 2030. The exclusive broadcasting rights have sparked debates about the need for more inclusive access to such high-profile events, which have traditionally been widely accessible to the public.
While JTBC sought to resell the rights for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics to the country's three major terrestrial networks, negotiations fell through, leading it to exclusively broadcast this year's Winter Games. This situation has heightened calls for reform in broadcasting rights to ensure wider public accessibility to global sports events.
In February, President Lee Jae Myung emphasized the need for broader public access to global sporting events through improvements to the current system. He noted, "There was a lack of strong public excitement compared with past international events," highlighting the impact of restricted broadcasting on public engagement.
During the forum, participants discussed systems in major countries regarding the broadcasting of global sporting events, as well as ways to guarantee universal viewing rights online. The discussions aimed to explore potential strategies to enhance public access to major sporting events and ensure that such events can be enjoyed by a wider audience.
"There is a need for participants in the broadcasting ecosystem to work together and coexist," KMCC Chairperson Kim Jong-cheol said, adding the commission will make efforts to revamp policies to guarantee the right to public access. The forum underscored the importance of collaborative efforts among stakeholders to address the challenges posed by exclusive broadcasting rights and to promote more equitable access to global sports broadcasts.