Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Award Going to HBO REAL SPORTS

HBO's REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL has been named a winner of a 2016 Investigative Reporters and Editors Award for its landmark report on the International Olympic Committee. The IRE Award win marks the first-ever for HBO. The win also marks the third significant honor bestowed this year upon REAL SPORTS for the comprehensive IOC special.

The annual IRE Awards recognize outstanding investigative work as judged by the award committee for the Investigative Reports and Editors, Inc., which is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting.

HBO is being honored "for excellence in investigative reporting by a large broadcast network" for the July 2016 report titled "The Lord of the Rings." The 80-minute expose featured an expansive global investigation of the International Olympic Committee, highlighted by an examination of the controversy surrounding the Rio Games as well as the enormous impact the Games have had on host cities in the past decade. Four correspondents traveled to nine countries to chronicle the largely unchecked power and influence wielded by the IOC.

The IRE Award win marks the third honor for the "The Lords of the Rings" report. In March, the HBO expose was named a recipient of the inaugural "Peter Jennings Award" from the Overseas Press Club, which honors the best TV, video or documentary on the topic of international affairs. The REAL SPORTS report was also nominated for a Sports Emmy® Award in the "Outstanding Sports Journalism" category. The Emmy Award winners will be announced on May 9.

"The Lords of the Rings" special is available now on the HBO GO® and HBO NOW platforms.

Click here for more information on the 2016 IRE Awards, which will be presented on Saturday, June 24 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Photo courtesy of HBO/Real Sports