JTBC, a general entertainment channel that exclusively aired the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, received some backlash from viewers who felt it didn’t broadcast live on its primary channel when snowboarder Choi Ga-on won the gold medal in the halfpipe competition. The network responded by stating, “This choice was made with consideration for viewers’ right to select what they watch.”
On the 13th, JTBC announced, “We would like to share information about the live coverage of Choi Ga-on’s halfpipe final.”
The channel explained, “The women’s snowboard halfpipe competition with Choi Ga-on was first aired live on both JTBC and JTBC Sports. However, when the short track event started, JTBC shifted its focus to cover the short track, while JTBC Sports kept broadcasting the halfpipe.”
It stated, “If we had reverted to Choi Ga-on’s event during the short track broadcast, viewers would have had no channel to watch the short track. Considering that short track is a powerful event for the South Korean team and has significant public interest, we kept the short track broadcast on the main channel and continued the halfpipe coverage through JTBC Sports to honor viewers’ preferences.”
In conclusion, JTBC stated, “We will keep striving to ensure that audiences can experience as many events as possible in real time throughout the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics.”
Earlier in the day, JTBC aired Choi Ga-on’s third run, with the confirmation of her gold medal exclusively available on its paid subscription-based JTBC Sports channel. Meanwhile, the main channel showed the short track semifinals and only shared the news of Choi’s gold medal via a text ticker. This sparked criticism from some viewers, who claimed the network should have broadcast live the historic moment when Choi became the first South Korean athlete in snow sports to secure a gold medal.
jasdooit 
Leave a comment