DISCOVERY SPORTS UNVEILED TO SHOWCASE THE SCALE AND OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED BY ITS COMBINED SPORTS OFFERING

Discovery is today unveiling Discovery Sports as a new corporate brand to represent the dedicated group that operates its unrivalled portfolio of sports brands, channels and platforms. Already collaborating across all aspects of content production, distribution and commercial activity, Discovery’s combined sports portfolio offers rights-holders and brand partners the unparalleled opportunity to reach an audience of more than 130 million people every month across all platforms where consumers are spending time -- free-to-air, pay-TV, streaming and online.

The move provides an external corporate identity that embodies Discovery’s unique sports proposition. It highlights Discovery’s combined strength in sports media, spanning the scale of the growing discovery+, the leading real-life entertainment streaming service, and its broad free-to-air networks in Europe; the breadth of sports offering through Eurosport in more than 75 markets and 230m homes; the depth of international super-fan services with Global Cycling Network (GCN), Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN), Golf Digest and GOLFTV, as well as completing a full 360 offer with its events management and promotion arm, Eurosport Events.  While each of Discovery’s consumer facing sports brands will continue to be presented and operate as usual, Discovery Sports will support collaboration within all areas of the combined sports business that Discovery takes to market. 

Andrew Georgiou will lead the full portfolio of Discovery’s sports brands and businesses as the President of Sports. Continuing to report to Discovery International CEO Jean-Briac Perrette, Georgiou is adding responsibility for GOLFTV and Golf Digest to his expanded portfolio. He already oversees Eurosport and Discovery’s global sports rights and marketing solutions, as well as Play Sports Group – which includes Global Cycling Network (GCN) – and Eurosport Events.

Jean-Briac Perrette, CEO, Discovery International said: “We have an unparalleled multi-platform offering for rights holders and marketers that uniquely provides the broad reach of television with the targeting and interactive capabilities of digital. With two Olympic Games in quick succession and Eurosport’s live content now rolling out onto discovery+ in many international markets, there has never been a greater opportunity to leverage the scale and expertise of our sports offer.

“As we organise all our sports business under Discovery Sports, I am hugely excited to have Andrew lead the charge for this consolidated group. His expertise, strategic vision and strong relationships have steered our sports business through last year’s challenging period for live sports, and set us on a course for further transformation and growth going forward,” Perrette said.

Andrew Georgiou, President of Sports, said: “When taken together, Discovery’s portfolio of sports brands, channels and platforms is unrivalled for its ability to engage audiences however the viewer chooses to watch. From the scale of Discovery’s free-to-air networks, to the breadth of sports offering through Eurosport and the depth of super-fan engagement from GOLFTV, Golf Digest and GCN, taken together Discovery Sports serves passionate fans everywhere and brings limitless opportunities for our brand and rights-holder partners.

“By collaborating as one global team, Discovery presents an unprecedented level of sports media expertise. We bring the only truly 360-degree offer, from platforms to promotion, that can truly grow an event, series or even an entire sport. Together we are able to unlock the power of sports with even greater impact, thanks to inspirational storytelling, best-in-class live coverage and sports journalism. This potential will only grow over the coming months as we increasingly bring our live sports content to discovery+ and the broad household audience it engages every day,” Georgiou concluded. 

Discovery Sport’s services engage fans and broad audiences in more than 200 markets and in over 20 languages, connecting them with the greatest sporting events in the world. This includes being the Home of the Olympics Games in Europe*; tennis’ Grand Slams; cycling’s Grand Tours and more than 200 days racing a year; the PGA TOUR year-round; the best new and existing electric racing series with ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and FIA eTouring Car World Cup; and every major winter sports World Championship and World Cup event. 

*Eurosport is being included on discovery+ as part of the phased international rollout of the service. Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be available to watch on discovery+ in Denmark, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Spain and United Kingdom. In all other European markets, except Russia, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be available on Eurosport digital services. Discovery is an Official Broadcaster in France and the U.K for Tokyo 2020.