Olympic TV channel to launch after Rio close

The Olympic television channel will be launched on the internet on August 21 just after the closing ceremony of the Rio Games, the International Olympic Committee announced Wednesday. "Starting Sunday 21 August, after the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the Olympic Channel platform will be available worldwide via a mobile app for Android and iOS devices and at olympicchannel.com," said an IOC statement. The launch of the Olympic Channel was approved at the IOC Congress in December, 2014. "The launch of the Olympic Channel on the 21st of August is the start of an exciting new journey to connect the worldwide audience with the Olympic Movement all year round," said IOC president Thomas Bach. "Fans will be able to follow sports, athletes and the stories behind the Olympic Games. The Olympic Channel will inspire us all and reach out to new generations of athletes and fans." The IOC said that the channel will have a budget of 446 million euros ($49.3m) for the period of 2015-2021.