Yiannis Exarchos
Yiannis Exarchos - Γιάννης Έξαρχος is a Greek television executive and sports broadcasting professional. Since 2012, he has been the Chief Executive Officer of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), and, since 2015, Executive Director of Olympic Channel Services. Exarchos has been involved in the host broadcasting of every Olympic Games since Athens 2004.
During his time at OBS, the organization adopted new broadcast technologies and expanded content formats, including initiatives related to sustainability and gender representation.
Early life & education
Exarchos was born in Athens, Greece and studied law at the University of Athens and Film Directing at the Stavrakos Film School.Career
Yiannis Exarchos began his career in the early 1980s working in arts and cultural programming in Greek radio and television. He later transitioned to television production, hosting and producing cultural programmes for Hellenic Radio and Television, the Greek public broadcaster. One confirmed programme is Vathos Pediou, a cultural talk show featuring interviews with figures from Greek arts and culture. Exarchos later moved into senior management roles at ERT and served as Executive Director of the broadcaster.Olympic broadcasting career
In 2001, he was appointed Vice President of Athens Olympic Broadcasting, working alongside Olympic broadcaster executive Manolo Romero. According to IOC reports, the Olympic Games Athens 2004 were broadcast to an estimated global audience of 3.9 billion and included early experimentation with digital streaming technologies such as web and 3G mobile networks.Following Athens 2004, Exarchos became Senior Executive Officer for Beijing Olympic Broadcasting (BOB), the Host Broadcaster for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS)
Before the end of 2008 he relocated to Madrid and was appointed Deputy CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), and later became CEO following the Olympic Games London 2012.During his tenure, OBS implemented several broadcasting technologies, including cloud-based workflows, 4K and 8K resolution, immersive audio, drone footage, virtual and augmented reality elements, 5G transmission, AI-powered tools, and virtualized production systems.
Youth Olympic Games
OBS has been responsible for the broadcast coverage of all Summer and Winter Youth Olympic Games since their inception in Singapore 2010. Yiannis Exarchos has served as CEO of OBS since 2012, overseeing the organization’s broadcasting operations for subsequent editions of the Youth Olympic Games.Paralympic Games
Following the Cooperation Agreement between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in 2018, OBS has also served as the Host Broadcaster for the Paralympic Games. OBS expanded its Paralympic Games coverage following its appointment as Host Broadcaster in 2018. As reported by the IPC, the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 saw increase engagement, with a noted 83% increase in live coverage consumption compared to the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.Olympic Channel Services (OCS)
In 2015, Exarchos was appointed Executive Director of Olympic Channel Services, overseeing the strategic direction and operations of Olympics.com and the Olympic Channel. Olympics.com functions as the IOC’s global digital platform, providing year-round coverage of the Olympic Games. The Olympic Channel, accessible via Olympics.com, features original programming, live broadcasts of Olympic-related sports events, and a 24/7 linear feed.Exarchos is also a member of the board of Olympic Channel Services S.L, the Spanish based entity chaired by Juan Antonio Samaranch.
Public speaking & educational involvement
Yiannis Exarchos is a frequent speaker at international conferences and academic forums, addressing topics such as Olympic broadcasting, technological innovation, sustainability in media operations, and balanced gender representation in sports coverage. He has spoken at events including the NAB Show, the European Sports Integrity Summit, and sessions organized by the European Broadcasting Union. He also lectures at the International Olympic Academy’s programme for sports journalists. His broadcast insights have been featured by media outlets including CNN, Reuters, NBC Sports, Sports Video Group, B&T and Axios.Awards
Yiannis Exarchos has been involved in executive and coordinating production roles, in broadcast and documentary projects that have received industry recognition.Projects on which he served as executive producer received Sports Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Long Documentary for The Redeem Team and Outstanding Public Service Announcement Campaign for What Agnes Saw ''. He was also nominated for Outstanding Documentary of Nonfiction Series for Simone Biles Rising, which earned additional recognition from the Producers Guild of America and Critics Choice Documentary Awards.''
As coordinating producer, he was part of the team awarded the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Experience - Event Coverage for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad. Programming developed by the Olympic Channel during his tenure has also received digital media awards, including Webby Awards and Telly Awards, recognising work in documentary, short-form, and digital storytelling categories.
In addition to industry awards, Exarchos has received honors from national and international institutions, including the Greek National Olympic Committee, the City of Madrid, and the Great Wall Friendship Award in Beijing for his contributions to Olympic broadcasting and international media collaboration.