Public broadcasters across Europe, including Nos in the Netherlands, have lost the right to broadcast the Olympics from 2022 onwards now US broadcasting giant Discovery, owner of Eurosport, has signed a €1.2bn exclusive pan-European deal.

The decision is an ‘enormous blow’, according to Nos chief Jan de Jong. The broadcaster will now aim to win a ‘substantial sub-licence’, he said.

Discovery chief executive, David Zaslav, told the Guardian that it would negotiate with the BBC and other broadcasters over potentially sub-licensing some of the rights.

Unless existing legislation changes, Discovery will still have to broadcast the entire winter and summer Games free to air, the Guardian said. Zaslav said the company would come to different arrangements in different markets across the European territories covered by the deal.