TOKYO – International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said the Summer and Winter Games must find “a balance” between traditional television broadcasting and online media as major sporting events increasingly strike exclusive deals with streaming services.

In a move that stunned TV networks, video streaming giant Netflix recently announced it had secured exclusive Japanese screening rights for next year’s World Baseball Classic, while several recent high-profile boxing promotions involving Japanese stars have also been shown online only.

Speaking to Kyodo News in Tokyo, where she has been watching the ongoing world athletics championships, Coventry said an IOC working group is considering media strategies, including ways to attract younger viewers who are turning away from TV, but traditional broadcasting still has its place.

“I think that the way in which we have our broadcasting rights and the way that they’re delivered, there is a lot of value in how we are doing it, because, you know, the Games are for everyone, and that’s a value and a principle that we would like to try to keep,” Coventry said Sunday.

“We want to be open to new platforms and work with new platforms, but I believe there is a strength in how we have traditionally done certain things. It’s now just finding a balance on how we’re going to navigate that and not go just one way or the other.”

Coventry said the Olympics would investigate how to better engage with younger people who primarily consume media via smartphone apps.

“There’s not as many younger people watching linear TV, right? They’re all on TikTok and Instagram and short bursts of information are what they’re attracted to,” she said. “We have to allow for ourselves to look into how we can communicate with the youth of today’s world.”

The 41-year-old Coventry, a former swimmer from Zimbabwe, became the IOC’s first female president in June. Her visit coinciding with the world athletics championships is her first to Japan since taking the top job.