Pan American Games on television

ABC was the first American television network to broadcast the Pan American Games in 1963, when they devoted one episode of their Wide World of Sports[1] anthology program to the games. They doubled their coverage to two episodes of the show in 1967. CBS then bought the rights to the 1975[2] and 1979 Games[3][4] at the same time. Their coverage in 1975 was mainly shown on CBS Sports Spectacular, their equivalent to Wide World of Sports. CBS repeated the process of airing most of its coverage on CBS Sports Spectacular in 1979.

For the 1983 games, CBS[5] aired all of its coverage on weekend afternoons. These games also marked the first of three consecutive hosting assignments of Brent Musburger. CBS endured numerous obstacles[6] in the run up to the games, including missing video tape machines and mobile units, inexperienced technicians from several countries, a last minute disagreement with the host broadcaster that left CBS scrambling to add 5 more cameras to the 3 it planned to use at the opening ceremony, and more. In addition, when a large doping scandal[7] broke out at the games, including the sudden departure of 12 American athletes to avoid drug testing, Musburger made special reports on the scandal during the CBS Morning News and CBS Evening News,[8] as well as during the regularly scheduled coverage.

CBS[9][10][11] broadcast its fourth consecutive Pan American Games in 1987[12][13] and provided the host feed as well. This would be the last time that CBS would broadcast the games. Brent Musburger[14] as previously alluded to, returned as host.

In 1991, ABC[15][16] sought the rights[17] to the Pan Am Games in Havana.[18] The negotiations became bogged down in the U.S. embargo against Cuba,[19] which forbade direct payments to Cuba. After a protracted negotiation with the U.S. Justice Department,[20] ABC eventually signed a deal[21] to broadcast the games. The fee was paid[22] indirectly to avoid the embargo. ABC partnered[23] with Ted Turner's TNT[24][25][26][27] cable channel for the Havana games. TNT aired the prime time coverage with Ernie Johnson Jr. as host, while Brent Musburger[28] (who had been fired by CBS in March 1990) anchored ABC's weekend afternoon coverage. This would be the last time the games were broadcast by a major broadcast network in the United States. All coverage since has aired on cable or Spanish-language networks.

Since 1995

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No major U.S. networks covered the 1999 Pan Am Games from Winnipeg, Canada, except for the Spanish-language network Univisión, while newspapers only sent second-string reporters instead and the stories never made front page news.[29] Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray became nationally well known as a result of the Games and thanks to extensive coverage by the CBC, anchored by CBC Sports' Brian Williams.

In the United States, ESPN and ESPN Deportes held the broadcasting rights for the Pan American Games through 2019.

2015 Pam American Games

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The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) served as the host and domestic broadcaster of the 2015 Pan American Games from Toronto; locally, coverage was broadcast in the English and French languages by CBC Television and Ici Radio-Canada Télé, and CBC's website carried 650 hours of online coverage.[30][31] Pay television rights were sub-licensed to Sportsnet, which aired the football (soccer) tournaments, and a semi-final of the Men's basketball tournament that involved Canada.[32] Spanish language rights were sub-licensed to Telelatino and Univision Canada; the broadcaster collaborated with US Spanish-language rights-holder ESPN Deportes on its own coverage.[33][34][35] CBC stated that it was "very happy" with the ratings performance of the Games; primetime coverage averaged around 900,000 to 1 million viewers per night, and the opening ceremonies were seen by 1.93 million viewers across CBC and CBC News Network, with the largest audience being in the Toronto region.[32][36]

In the United States, ESPN held broadcast rights, with 66 hours of English-language coverage across ESPN and ESPN2, 44 hours on Longhorn Network, 200 hours of Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes, and streaming on WatchESPN. ESPN broadcast from studios at Corus Quay, which was linked to the IBC (and in turn, ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut). ESPN and ESPN Deportes used their own hosts, as well of those of CBC, as part of its multi-platform coverage.[37][38]

Rede Record acquired rights in Brazil, paying a record US$30 million.[39][40] Other broadcasting deals include Torneos y Competencias sports in Argentina, Claro Sports in Mexico and Latina Televisión in Peru.[41]

2019 and 2023 Pan American Games

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Mediapro served as host broadcaster for the 2019 Pan American Games from Lima, Peru. The Lima Convention Centre hosted the International Broadcast Centre (IBC).[42] Panam Sports also launched the Panam Sports Channel on its website, which featured supplemental video content from the Games hosted by local personality Alexandra Hörler.[43]

In February 2022, Mediapro reached an agreement to serve as host broadcaster of Santiago 2023; for the first time, every event held across the Pan-American and Parapan American Games will be televised, nearly doubling the hours of coverage that will be available to rightsholders in comparison to 2019.[44] In September 2022, the country's public broadcaster Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) reached an agreement to serve as the domestic broadcaster of the Games.[45] In early-2023, the commercial networks Canal 13 and Chilevisión also acquired rights to the Games.[46][47]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Wide World of Sports Highlights -- 1960s". ESPN.com.
  2. ^ Amdur, Neil (August 2, 1983). "TV SPORTS; PAN AM GAMES A BIG PROBLEM FOR CBS". The New York Times.
  3. ^ "Pan American Games – 1979 – Swimming + Wrestling + Equestrian + Boxing + Sailing". Imasportsphile.com.
  4. ^ "The Spirit of Friendship Through Sports: Poster Images from the Pan-American Games, 1951-1999". LA84 FOUNDATION.
  5. ^ "CBS giving Pan Am Games four star coverage". Newspapers.com. August 13, 1983.
  6. ^ Hersh, Phil (August 24, 1987). "THE GAMES THAT CAME UP SHORT". Chicago Tribune.
  7. ^ Todd, Rosenke, Jan, Daniel L. (2016). "'The Event That Shook the Whole World Up': Historicizing the 1983 Pan-American Games Doping Scandal". The International Journal of the History of Sport. 33 (1–2): 164–185. doi:10.1080/09523367.2016.1152961. S2CID 146840442.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "PAN AMERICAN GAMES / DRUGS". The Vanderbilt Television News Archive. August 24, 1983.
  9. ^ Kidd, Torres, Bruce, Cesar (19 April 2018). Historicizing the Pan-American Games. Routledge. ISBN 9781315414270.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Indianapolis Monthly Sep 1997. Emmis Communications. September 1997. p. 145.
  11. ^ Harvey, Randy (August 24, 1987). "THE 1987 PAN AMERICAN GAMES : Analysis : What the Pan Am Organizers Lacked: Time and a World View". Los Angeles Times.
  12. ^ Sarni, Jim (August 22, 1987). "NBC BRASS TO PUT NAMATH THROUGH BOOTH CAMP". Sun Sentinel.
  13. ^ "THE 10THE PAN AMERICAN GAMES; Big Event With Disney Touch". The New York Times. August 2, 1987.
  14. ^ Szul, Barbara (August 8, 1987). "The 10th Pan Am Games kick off..." Chicago Tribune.
  15. ^ Sandomir, Richard (June 23, 1991). "TV SPORTS: PAN AMERICAN GAMES; Technology Hits Cuba, By Land, Sea and U.S." The New York Times.
  16. ^ Nidetz, Steve (August 2, 1991). "ABC GEARS UP FOR PAN AM GAMES". Chicago Tribune.
  17. ^ "ABC obtains TV rights to '91 Pan..." The Baltimore Sun. December 4, 1990.
  18. ^ "AIM Report - September A 1991". Accuracy in Media.
  19. ^ Robb, Sharon (June 22, 1990). "Making sacrifices cuba gets ready for the pan american games". South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
  20. ^ "MISCELLANEOUS ABC WINS BID TO TELEVISE PAN AM GAMES IN HAVANA". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. May 17, 1989.
  21. ^ "THE SIDELINES : Pan Am Games TV Suit Settled". Los Angeles Times. December 13, 1990.
  22. ^ Pettavino, Pye, Paula J., Geralyn (15 September 1994). Sport in Cuba: The Diamond in the Rough. p. 221. ISBN 9780822974598.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ Isaacs, Stan (August 17, 1991). "BOXING FANS TASTE CHOCOLATE". Sun Sentinel.
  24. ^ "ABC, TNT GET NO MEDALS FOR PAN AM COVERAGE". Greensboro.com. August 6, 1991.
  25. ^ "Games Aren't Losing Money for Turner". Los Angeles Times. August 16, 1991.
  26. ^ "WHO IS THIS HUBIE BROWN? WHAT HAPPENED WITH SENNA?". The Morning Call. May 22, 1994.
  27. ^ Sandomir, Richard (August 2, 1991). "TV SPORTS; Valvano in Havana, With Regret". The New York Times.
  28. ^ Luna, Richard (June 18, 1991). "ABC announces Pan Am Games coverage". UPI.
  29. ^ Bergman, Brian. "Pan Am Games Wrap Up". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  30. ^ "CBC announces TV and extensive online coverage plans for upcoming Pan Am Games". National Post. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  31. ^ "Pan Am Games: CBC expands TV coverage". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on July 20, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  32. ^ a b Brioux, Bill (July 24, 2015). "'Very happy' CBC defends amount of live coverage". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. Retrieved November 25, 2020 – via PressReader.
  33. ^ "Lights, Camera, Party!". Toronto2015.org. December 15, 2014. Archived from the original on June 8, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  34. ^ "TO2015 Awards Host And Domestic Broadcaster Role To CBC/Radio-Canada". Toronto2015.com. September 7, 2012. Archived from the original on June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  35. ^ "CBC wins rights to 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto". CBC Sports. September 6, 2012. Archived from the original on May 28, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  36. ^ "The Great Canadian Ratings Report: Pan Am coverage unsatisfying, but drawing big audiences". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  37. ^ "ESPN & ESPN Deportes Road to Toronto 2015: 100 Days of Pan Am Games to Unfold Across Platforms". ESPN. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  38. ^ "Live From Pan Am Games: ESPN, ESPN Deportes Join Forces on 'Massive Operation'". Sports Video Group. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  39. ^ Molina, Edwin (May 17, 2014). "ESPN Deportes Continues Growth, Focusing on Pan-American Games & Euro 2016 After World Cup". Latin Post. Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  40. ^ "TV Record acquires 2019 Pan American Games rights". Sports Pro Media. November 1, 2011. Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  41. ^ "Toronto 2015 Games Hitting Home Stretch, Ontarians Getting on Board". CNW Group. July 18, 2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  42. ^ "Mediapro named Lima 2019 host broadcaster as Panam Sports inspect venues". insidethegames.biz. Dunsar Media Company Limited. May 26, 2018. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
  43. ^ "Panam Sports to launch digital streaming platform for Lima 2019". insidethegames.biz. Dunsar Media Company Limited. June 18, 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  44. ^ Sankar, Vimal (15 February 2022). "Santiago 2023 signs improved television deal with Mediapro". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  45. ^ Palmer, Dan (15 September 2022). "Free-to-air TV deal struck in host nation Chile for Santiago 2023". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  46. ^ Mohammed, Ahmed (16 February 2023). "Canal 13 to broadcast Santiago 2023 Pan American and Parapan American Games". Inside the Games. Dunsar Media. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  47. ^ "Chilevisión joins the broadcast of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games". tvenserio.com. March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
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