AP Interview: IOC holding off until next year on negotiating Olympic TV rights in US

AP Interview: IOC to hold off on US TV rights

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The International Olympic Committee is holding off negotiating the next round of U.S. television rights and could delay the bidding again until next year.

IOC finance commission chairman Richard Carrion tells The Associated Press the fragile U.S. economy and weak advertising market makes it unwise to seek a deal now for the 2014 and 2016 games.

He says the IOC is in “no hurry” and will wait until conditions are right.

The negotiations were postponed in 2009 because of the global financial crisis. The IOC had hoped to open the bidding this year, but that now appears doubtful.

Carrion says: “I don’t see us moving very quickly in the U.S.”