IOC Taints and Broadcast Rights: The Ripple Effect on Russian and Belarussian Teams
In the wake of sweeping sanctions aimed at Russian and Belarusian sports, the International Olympic Committee has taken a decisive stance that aligns with long-standing trends. Russia has already faced exclusions in notable arenas, from the Formula 1 stage in Sochi to the Ice Hockey World Championship, with broad participation bans affecting athletes across many disciplines. The IOC’s influence has not waned, and on February 28 it issued a clear call for international sport federations to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in events abroad. The current developments also foreshadow Russia being excluded from the two Olympic Games tender cycles scheduled for 2026 and 2028.
State Duma deputy and three-time Olympic champion in pair skating, Irina Rodnina, commented on the evolving landscape, noting that today’s moves fit the anticipated pattern. She added that while the decision is expected, it might not be the final word in the saga of geopolitical sport.
Early media coverage stirred debate by suggesting that Russia and Belarus would lose broadcasting rights for upcoming Games, including Milan and Los Angeles events. A closer look, however, shows a more nuanced picture. A television expert, Ilya Firsov, explained that the ban does not automatically strip these nations of all broadcasting access. Instead, rights may be parceled out in regional tenders or handled separately from the pan-European package. When Discovery held Paris 2024 rights, Russia was not included in that package, but a separate tender specifically for Russia was announced and won by TeleSport.
Firsov posited that as global circumstances stabilize, a dedicated tender for Russia could reappear. He stressed that the IOC is unlikely to deprive a large audience of Russian viewers of the Olympic Games, especially given the absence of universal sanctions comparable to actions seen in other historical episodes. The key distinction rests on right, outside, and inside initiatives. If Russian athletes are expelled, national broadcasters may choose to withhold buys in a show of solidarity, a scenario with precedents in the history of Olympic broadcasts. The 1980-1984 boycotts serve as a reference point, where the United States and the Soviet Union did not broadcast the Games even after rights were secured by major networks.
With four years until the first Games under consideration, a window remains open for shifts. The 2026 Winter Games in Milan could be framed by changing political dynamics, potentially allowing Russian athletes to compete again on the world stage and qualify for the main events of the subsequent four-year cycle. If Russians are admitted to the competition, the odds of a specialized tender opening again for that region grow stronger, according to Firsov.
Publishers in the industry did not react with surprise to the IOC’s decision. Alexander Tashchin, general producer at a leading sports broadcaster, reported receiving official documents from the IOC on March 2 and observed that the tender process began March 10. He underscored that the tender may be structured to allow regional rights to be exercised separately, and that the broadcaster is committed to pursuing only this route rather than exploring alternative channels.
The specter of piracy remains a concern. If an official ban on Olympic coverage in Russia and Belarus is enacted, the emergence of pirate sites and unauthorized streams cannot be ruled out. Tashchin insisted that Match TV would not engage in such activities, arguing that piracy could seriously damage the broadcaster’s reputation built over years of partnerships. He expressed hope of finding a legitimate path to deliver Olympic content to the Russian audience.
Firsov acknowledged a possible loophole in which unofficial broadcasts could surface, yet major channels would not have direct ties to them. He also described a scenario of hidden support for piracy, where a platform appears indirectly and is promoted through state media channels not formally connected to traditional broadcasters. Proving such connections would be challenging, he noted, since the links between the platform and publishers would need to be demonstrated.
Overall, the situation remains fluid, with government, industry, and audience interests intersecting in complex ways. The IOC’s move reflects ongoing debates about sporting participation in times of political conflict, and broadcasters are watching closely as the next phase unfolds across the regional and global landscape.