All broadcasters interested in U.S. Games rights: IOC

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - All major broadcasters in the United States have expressed an interest in acquiring the rights to screen the 2014 and 2016 Olympic Games, International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge said on Friday.

Rogge said, however, that no formal negotiations had taken place yet with the broadcasters for the IOC's most lucrative Games contract worth several billion dollars. Broadcasting rights are the IOC's biggest source of revenue with NBC paying $2.2 billion for the 2010-12 Games deal in the U.S.

"We have had a lot of interest from broadcasters for 2014 and 2016. We have had contacts from all major broadcasters and even smaller broadcasters," Rogge told reporters in Brussels.

He said the IOC executive committee would discuss the matter at a regular meeting in the U.S. city of Denver at the end of March and he expected talks "to start as soon as possible."

Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi will host the 2014 Winter Olympics while the host city for the 2016 Summer Games will be picked later this year. Chicago, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid are in the running.

A deal could even be delayed until after the host city is chosen in October to allow for more favorable negotiating conditions depending on the outcome of the vote and the economic climate at the time.

Earlier this week, the IOC picked sports agency SPORTFIVE to award the 2014 and 2016 Olympics broadcasting rights for Europe (excluding France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom) after ending a half-century partnership with the European Broadcasting Union.

(Editing by Rex Gowar)