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OLYMPIC CHANNEL OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED TO GLOBAL AUDIENCEOn 22 August, the Olympic Channel launched to a global audience via a mobile app for Android and iOS devices and at olympicchannel.com. The launch followed the colourful celebration at the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games Rio 2016.IOC President Thomas Bach said: “The launch of the Olympic Channel is a key milestone for the Olympic Movement and a result of Olympic Agenda 2020. It is the start of an exciting, new journey for athletes, fans and new generations to connect with sport and the Olympic values every day of the year.” The Olympic Channel is a new, ground-breaking digital platform, where fans can experience the power of sport and the Olympic Movement all year round. It is inspired by sport with athletes at the heart of its programming, and is launching with content from around the world including original shows, news and highlights. Premiering during the launch and building on the excitement of the Games was “Viva 2016”, an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the production of an Opening Ceremony. In addition to the free digital platform, athletes and fans can follow Olympic Channel social media handles on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.In the build-up to the Olympic Channel launch, the IOC announced two Founding Partner agreements with Bridgestone and Toyota. The Founding Partner programme engages Worldwide TOP Partners in supporting the mission of the Olympic Channel by collaborating on branded content and other unique production partnerships to promote sport and the Olympic values.Above President Bach discusses the Olympic Channel during an interview in Rio de JaneiroIOC hosts Candidate City workshopsOn 12-15 July, the IOC held four successful days of individual workshops with the four cities hoping to host the Olympic Games in 2024 – Los Angeles (USA), Rome (Italy), Budapest (Hungary) and Paris (France) (listed in the order of drawing of lots). The workshops were held in Lausanne (Switzerland) and were led by the Associate Director of Olympic Candidatures, Jacqueline Barrett, with the participation of experts in the relevant fields. The content was focused on Stage 2 of the Candidature Process: governance, legal and venue funding.IOC awards broadcast rights in the CaribbeanThe IOC has awarded the exclusive broadcast rights in the Caribbean to International Media Content Ltd (IMC), parent company of SportsMax and a subsidiary of Digicel Group, for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. IMC will partner with broadcasters across the region and leverage all of Digicel’s platforms to deliver live coverage and highlights of the Olympic Games via free-to-air and cable television, as well as all mobile, streaming and other digital media platforms.NEWS IN BRIEFOLYMPIC REVIEW 15