Estonia's Public Broadcaster Airs Olympics, Scraps Live Studio Amid Budget Woes
Estonian National Broadcasting (ERR) has secured the rights to the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, taking over from commercial channels, but financial constraints will force viewers seeking comprehensive event coverage beyond local athletes to rely on paid platforms like Eurosport and HBO Max.
- —Estonian National Broadcasting (ERR) will be the primary broadcaster for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Estonia, a shift from previous Olympics which were shown on Kanal 2 and Duo 5.
- —Due to budget constraints, ERR will not feature a live Olympic studio with commentary, instead having commentators based in Tallinn and reporter-operator teams at competition venues to cover Estonian athletes.
- —Eurosport channels and their paid web platform HBO Max will also provide extensive coverage, offering live broadcasts of all events, especially those not covered by ERR.
- —The broadcast schedule highlights specific events featuring Estonian athletes, including curling, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, biathlon, ski jumping, figure skating, and speed skating.
- —Cyclist Madis Mihkels is set to begin his season in Oman with the Muscat Classic and Tour of Oman, followed by the UAE Tour, focusing on sprint stages.
Recap
The change in Estonia's Olympic broadcasting reflects a new reality for public media. While securing major events remains a priority, financial constraints are forcing a hybrid model where the national broadcaster provides a baseline, patriotically-focused service, while comprehensive access to global competition moves behind the paywalls of international platforms. This creates a clear divide between free-to-air and premium, subscription-based viewing experiences for a key international event.