The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an alliance of public service broadcasters across Europe, and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) governing body have announced an extension to their exclusive media rights partnership for four more seasons until 2030.
The renewal of the partnership, which has lasted for over 25 years, will give the EBU and its biathlon rights-holders access to all IBU World Cup events, along with the IBU World Championships, and various other IBU events, including the Youth/Junior World Championships, the Open European Championships, the IBU Summer World Championships, and the IBU Cup.
The IBU and the EBU will also be extending biathlon coverage to the new Eurovision Sport digital platform globally.
The EBU will, in addition, offer its host broadcasting and production services, contract management, project coordination, and implementation services.
Glen Killane, executive director at EBU Sport, said: "The IBU and the EBU have been working together to grow this fantastic sport for over 25 years. The huge reach and innovative production standards of EBU Members have been central to the stellar success of biathlon.
“This new agreement confirms the strong commitment of EBU Members to the continued growth of the sport into the next decade, we are so grateful to the IBU for their trust and their fantastic approach to our partnership and we thank our members for their unwavering support."
Olle Dahlin, IBU president, added: “We are delighted to extend our long-term partnership with EBU Sport which will guarantee the very highest quality broadcast coverage to our fans through to 2030. Our long and fruitful partnership with EBU Sport is a testament to the significant and ever-growing interest in biathlon not just in Europe but around the world.
"By extending for another four years, we will be able to reinvest in the development of our sport and ensure we continue to extend our reach to new audiences as we move into the next phase of our strategy, ‘Target 2030’”.
The EBU announced a significant restructuring of the leadership team within its sports division in May.
Andreas Aristodemou will assume the role of director of Olympics, succeeding Pascal Fratellia who recently stepped down from the position.
Meanwhile, Frédéric Sanz has been promoted to the newly expanded position of head of summer sports and cycling. Since joining the EBU in 2015, he has had a key role in the summer sports team, initially as senior sports rights manager and later as the head of cycling operations.
Another senior leadership change will see Jean-Baptiste Casta assume the role of director of business operations and the new Eurovision Sport streaming platform.
