The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) is delighted that comprehensive free-to-air coverage of the Commonwealth Games in New Zealand is assured if SKY Television takes on the New Zealand broadcast rights to Delhi 2010.

President of the NZOC Mike Stanley said that if the transfer of broadcast rights is confirmed virtually every New Zealander would have free-to-air access to Games coverage. "Like the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games is a sporting event that brings the nation together,” he said. “We have seen SKY Television’s plans for the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games and the London Olympic Summer Games and are delighted that a similar mix of free-to-air and paid broadcast would be applied to Delhi.

Mr Stanley also added that the alignment of both the Commonwealth and Olympic Games broadcast rights would have broad commercial benefits. “The adding of the Commonwealth Games rights to the SKY Sport platform would provide a consistent link between Games for our commercial partners and deliver an enhanced commercial product.”

The New Zealand Olympic Committee acts on behalf of both the Olympic and Commonwealth Games organisations in New Zealand.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has an expectation that a comprehensive component of any Commonwealth Games coverage will be free-to-air.