[AK View]Why Have the Olympics Everyone Watched Disappeared?

Terrestrial Big Three Shut Out of Olympic Coverage
Redesigning the Guarantee of "Universal Viewing Rights"

Lee Kwangho, Culture and Sports Team Leader

The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics have opened, but a significant number of people say they were unaware that the Olympics were even taking place. This scene is difficult to attribute simply to a lack of publicity. Rather, it shows that the foundation of “universal viewing rights,” long taken for granted in the Korean broadcasting ecosystem, is now being undermined.

This Winter Olympics is being exclusively broadcast by JTBC. JTBC has acquired the exclusive broadcasting rights for four Olympic Games, both Summer and Winter, through 2032, as well as the North and Central America World Cup and the 2030 World Cup. The estimated cost is between at least 500 billion won and up to 700 billion won. The three major terrestrial broadcasters (KBS, MBC, SBS) attempted to negotiate resale agreements but could not narrow the terms, and ultimately were excluded from the Olympic broadcast. This is the first time the three terrestrial broadcasters have been left out of Olympic coverage.

As a result, the universal viewing rights system, which had been maintained around terrestrial broadcasting, has effectively collapsed. In the past, the Olympics were a national event that people watched naturally, without any special choice. Now, the Olympics have become content that requires viewers to know how to access it.

This change is evident even in the President’s remarks. On January 27, President Lee Jaemyung asked during a Cabinet meeting, “Why is it that so many people don’t know the Winter Olympics are happening?” This was not just a question of public awareness, but a challenge to the current structure in which national interests are no longer evenly communicated to the entire population.

There are counterarguments. Some claim that with the high penetration of cable and IPTV, and with online video services (OTT) and mobile viewing now commonplace, hardly any households are excluded from viewing. From a purely technological accessibility perspective, this is persuasive. However, universal viewing rights are less about “can you watch” than “how easily and naturally can you watch together.”

Terrestrial broadcasting is closer to a public good, as it can be watched without separate subscriptions or fees. In contrast, cable, IPTV, and OTT require choice, payment, and access to information. This difference weakens the social impact of sports events and turns the Olympics from a “national experience” into content for those with a particular interest.

It is difficult to unilaterally criticize JTBC’s decision. With broadcasting rights prices soaring, broadcasters cannot ignore profitability. The real issue is whether national sports events such as the Olympics and the World Cup should be left entirely to market logic. This is a question of social solidarity and public interest.

Overseas, universal viewing rights are supplemented by laws and regulations. Certain events are designated as protected and required to be broadcast for free, or simultaneous broadcasts on public channels are mandated when pay-TV is used. Similar discussions have taken place in Korea, but the changing media environment has not been adequately addressed.

Now the question is clear: Will universal viewing rights be left as a relic of the past, or will they be redesigned to fit the new environment? This does not mean returning to a terrestrial monopoly. However, for events that draw national attention, at the very least, a minimum level of public access needs to be institutionally guaranteed.

Possible alternatives include the separate sale of broadcast rights, mandatory free broadcasts of certain matches, and models combining public and pay-TV broadcasts. The important issue is not “who holds the broadcast rights,” but “who can watch together.”

The Olympics remain a national event. This Winter Olympics demonstrates that this assumption is no longer automatically upheld. Universal viewing rights should not disappear under the pressure of market logic. What is needed now is a redesign that matches current realities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.