Can Hong Kong watch Arabella Ng at the Winter Olympics? TV broadcast deal is still uncertain
No agreement has been reached with the International Olympic Committee, with just two weeks left until the Pyeongchang Games
With just two weeks to go until the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, it is still up in the air whether Hong Kong fans will be able to watch their sole representative at the Games on television.
With Arabella Ng qualifying for the giant slalom and slalom discipline in the Alpine skiing, it is the fifth time Hong Kong will be represented at the Winter Games since Salt Lake City in 2002.
The local broadcaster for the Sochi Games in Russia four years ago, TVB, has yet to reach an agreement with the International Olympic Committee for Pyeongchang, which runs from February 9-25 in South Korea.
“This is a commercial decision as we are in discussions with the world governing body,” said a TVB sports programming source. “It certainly takes time to reach a deal as the broadcasting fee is not cheap.
“Of course, we cannot compare the fee with the Summer Olympics which is far more expensive, but considering the commercial value of the Winter Games in Hong Kong, we have to be prudent.”