SBS, the country’s third-largest broadcaster, has secured exclusive broadcast rights for the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics and the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee announced on Monday.

The agreement is the first broadcast deal with the IOC that goes through 2024, the Olympic governing body said in a statement.

SBS has acquired the broadcast rights across all media platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription television, Internet and mobile, according to the IOC.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with SBS through to 2024. SBS has been our broadcast partner in the region for many years and I would like to thank them for their commitment to the Olympic Movement,” IOC President Jacques Rogge said.

SBS had already secured the local broadcast rights to the 2012 London Olympics, the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

In 2010, SBS broadcast the Vancouver Winter Olympics here exclusively as well as the South Africa World Cup.

Meanwhile on Monday, the IOC also awarded German broadcaster ARD and ZDF the rights for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games and the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Summer Games.

The IOC members are now in Durban, South Africa for the 123rd IOC session. They will select the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games on Wednesday.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)