The International Olympics Committee did not announce the values of the losing bids, but the Associated Press reported the specific amounts.
The stunning price paid by Comcast is certain to be second-guessed as too much. Brian L. Roberts, the cable company's chairman and CEO, shrugged off that prospect. Roberts called the $4.382 billion expense "a path to profitability" as it regarded Olympics telecasting.
"What sports rights haven't gone up?" Roberts asked.
The last two days have been expensive for Comcast. On Monday, it paid Blackstone Group about $1 billion to buy out the remaining 50 percent ownership of Universal Orlando and its two theme parks. The deal concluded Comcast's $13 billion purchase of the majority stake in NBCUniversal Inc. from General Electric Co. in January
Roberts also spoke of "a human dimension," meaning staffers at beleaguered NBC, which struggles in the ratings wars with the other major networks. Delivering the winning bid also helped fulfill a pledge Comcast officials made to regulators - of resurrecting NBC - when it sought approval for its acquisition of NBCUniversal Inc.
According to Olympic officials, Comcast will pay $775 million for the 2014 Games, $1.2 billion for the 2016 Games, $963 million for the 2018 Games, and $1.4 billion for the 2020 Games.
ESPN had pledged to cover all Olympics events live. NBC did not make that promise, instead saying that amassing large audiences in prime time remains the top priority. Additionally, officials said, Comcast and NBC together can employ numerous cable channels and websites to transmit Olympics coverage.
The winning bid left top executives of the IOC, headquartered here on the shores of Lake Geneva, speaking in superlatives. The money paid for U.S. television rights is the richest source of income for the IOC.
