A total of 27 International Federations have penned agreements with the Olympic Channel, it was announced today, but sports such as athletics and football have not yet partnered with the project.
Only eight Olympic Federations have not struck deals concerning collaboration over content for the Channel, including five summer and three winter sports.
The exact launch date for the Channel has not yet been confirmed but International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach revealed they expect to make an announcement “in the coming weeks”.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the International Cycling Union, FIFA, the International Handball Federation and the International Volleyball Federation, as well as the International Skating Union, the International Biathlon Union and the International Luge Federation have not reached agreements with Olympic Channel Services (OCS).
OCS general manager Mark Parkman told insidethegames that “ongoing discussions with other IFs, including IAAF and FIFA, as well as with other recognised sports organisations” were currently taking place.
Parkman also said they hope to announce deals with further International Federations in the near future.
The IOC have confirmed the content will include live sporting action, along with news, athlete stories and footage from the IOC archives.
There will also be a focus on “educational and youth-oriented programming, sustainability, sports science and nutrition”, according to the IOC.
“The Olympic Channel will mark a major shift in how the Olympic Movement connects with young people all year round,” Bach said.
“The IFs have embraced the Olympic Channel and we look forward to working with them on the exciting programming and promotional opportunities.
“The newly formed Olympic Channel team is making steady progress, with the emphasis on ensuring the product is right and the quality of the programming matches our ambition.
“We look forward to announcing the 2016 launch date in the coming weeks.”
Olympic Broadcasting Services chief executive Yiannis Exarchos revealed in April that 650 pieces of video content for the Channel will be produced in-house between January and August 2016.
This will be accompanied by commissioned content, with agreements having been drawn-up with 25 production companies in 14 countries.
More than 590 digital pieces - each lasting around 26 minutes - should be ready for launch, Exarchos said, adding up to 40 total hours.
This means there should be around 250 hours a year beyond in-house digital production.
OCS now has over 60 full-time employees from 20 countries.
The commercial and distribution departments are located at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, while the technical and production units operate out of Spanish capital Madrid.
"Preparations for the launch of the Olympic Channel are on course and the announcement of these cooperation agreements with our IF partners is another important step forward," Parkman added.
"Content production has begun, the technology and platforms are being tested, and there is a growing sense of energy and excitement here among the Olympic Channel team as we prepare for launch this year."