Terrestrial Olympic 'Blackout' Becomes Reality... JTBC to Exclusively Broadcast Winter Olympics

TV on JTBC, Mobile on Naver: Dual-Platform Coverage Confirmed
World Cup Broadcasting Rights Back on the Negotiation Table

The three major terrestrial broadcasters-KBS, MBC, and SBS-will not be able to air coverage of the "2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics." JTBC, which has secured exclusive broadcasting rights for the Olympics, has announced the breakdown of resale negotiations with the terrestrial broadcasters and confirmed its "exclusive broadcast."

On January 7, JTBC officially announced, "This Winter Olympics will be broadcast exclusively in partnership with our new media partner, Naver." As a result, viewers will need to watch the Olympics on JTBC-affiliated TV channels or through Naver on smartphones and PCs. It is unprecedented in broadcasting history for the Olympics not to be aired on terrestrial channels.

JTBC secured exclusive broadcasting rights in Korea for the Summer and Winter Olympics from 2026 to 2032 and for the World Cup from 2026 to 2030 from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2019. Since then, JTBC has been negotiating with the three terrestrial broadcasters to resell the rights under the pretext of guaranteeing "universal viewing rights," but failed to narrow the differences over price and conditions.

JTBC stated, "We tried to reach an agreement with other broadcasters, given the national interest in the event, but the negotiations fell through." The company added, "Instead, by partnering with Naver, we will create a broadcasting environment that spans both online and offline platforms to minimize viewer inconvenience."

Attention is now turning to the "North and Central America World Cup" scheduled for June. While JTBC will broadcast the Winter Olympics exclusively, there is speculation that it may be burdensome to monopolize even the World Cup, which draws even greater national interest. A JTBC representative said, "We will seek cooperation with an open attitude for future sports events such as the World Cup," and added, "We plan to resume full-scale multilateral negotiations starting this month."

The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will be held in Italy for 17 days, from February 6 to February 22.