Olympic broadcast rights holder iCable faces being shut out of a deal to bring 200 hours of footage of the London Games on free-to-air television, after TVB started direct negotiations with the International Olympic Committee.
With just two weeks to go until the Games open, TVB said yesterday it had made an offer to the IOC to transmit 200 hours of coverage in collaboration with fellow free-to-air broadcaster ATV.
Its coverage would include the opening and closing ceremonies.
ATV's executive director, James Shing Pan-yu, says his company is 'actively involved' in the talks and expects an announcement soon.
The move follows the collapse of talks between the free broadcasters and iCable, which insisted on broadcasting much of its own advertising during the coverage.
Other issues included problems with the availability of Hong Kong's free-to-air channels in Guangdong, where state broadcaster CCTV holds the right to show the Games.
Under TVB's proposal, the company would 'evenly' share the coverage with ATV and the Games would be shown on the broadcasters' international channels, ATV World and TVB Pearl.