ABSTRACT
Live coverage of events from overseas began in 1964 with the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and ever since then, viewers’ perceptions of the world have changed as they became aware of new sports and remarkable performers that play on the global stage. This chapter takes the reader behind the scenes of international sports broadcasting to explain how international television rights agreements work and what host broadcasters do at major events such as the Olympics, World Cup soccer, or Grand Slam tennis tournaments. The author, who was responsible for live sports coverage on six continents during his career, provides first-hand accounts and talks about the importance of research, resourcefulness, and adaptability in international productions. He also reports on the changes that were brought on by the pandemic and its foreign travel restrictions.
