USOC to launch “US Olympic Network” after Vancouver Games in 2010

After long negotiations, USOC Network to debut ‘10

DENVER — After more than two years of negotiations, the U.S. Olympic Committee is ready to introduce a network devoted solely to Olympic sports.

Details about the “U.S. Olympic Network” will be unveiled Wednesday, though a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press the network will go on the air next year after the Vancouver Olympics and that Comcast will be the broadcast partner, with plans to place the network on one of its basic tiers.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the deal have not been released.

The USOC has been touting the Olympic network as a way to keep Olympic sports in front of viewers for more than only a few weeks during an Olympic year. It is supposed to be a particular benefit to smaller sports that struggle to find air time once the Olympic torch goes out.

The network, considered in Olympic circles to be one of the most important long-term projects at the USOC, is expected to air live events and archival footage, along with a few shows that mix sports and lifestyle topics.

As of late last year, the USOC had secured rights to televise events from more than half the individual sports. Getting rights to some of the bigger sports — skating, gymnastics, swimming, track — could be trickier because those sports negotiate some of their own TV deals, and they are considered lucrative to the major networks.