EUROSPORT STRENGTHENS OLYMPIC SPORT PORTFOLIO WITH MODERN PENTATHLON DEAL

The one-year Pan-European agreement will include blue-ribbon events such as the 2017 World Cup Final in Lithuania in June and the World Championships in Egypt this August. This deal gives Eurosport viewers the chance to watch Modern Pentathlon superstars, such as Alexander Lesun from Russia and Australia’s Chloe Esposito, the reigning Olympic champions, on a regular basis.

The agreement with the UIPM means that over half of the sports to feature at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be broadcast on Eurosport over the next 12 months, giving sports fans the opportunity to follow the journeys of their heroes all-year round in the lead-up to the Games.

In addition to the broadcast rights, Eurosport will work closely with the UIPM to promote its sports and help activate the governing body’s commercial partnerships through a dedicated promotional platform, comprising both TV and digital activations.

Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton said: “Modern pentathlon is widely regarded as one of the most challenging and traditional sports in the Summer Olympic program and we are delighted to be able to bring this year’s biggest events to our viewers. Eurosport already dedicates over half of its schedule to Olympic sports and this agreement further strengthens our portfolio as we start our journey towards Tokyo.”

“The Modern Pentathlon in Rio last summer provided some of the most iconic moments of the Olympic Games with records tumbling in both the men’s and women’s events. The sport has a rich Olympic history and, as the new Home of the Olympics in Europe, we look forward to following these remarkable athletes and sharing their stories on our screens throughout 2017.”

Dr Klaus Schormann, President of UIPM, said: "UIPM's development programmes have enabled our sporting movement to grow right across the world and we have seen the results with the Rio 2016 Olympic medallists in Modern Pentathlon coming from three different continents.

"However, the traditional heartland of Modern Pentathlon is the continent of Europe and today is a day for celebration for the many fans of our sport who will be able to watch our most important competitions on television through Eurosport. This is another major step forward for our core Olympic sport, which has benefited in recent years from great advances in media coverage and marketing.” 

Shiny Fang, UIPM Secretary General, said: “Eurosport is exactly the match we have been looking for and we are excited to be part of their portfolio. We hope to increase awareness of the UIPM and our six multi-discipline sports, especially the Modern Pentathlon which is a cornerstone of the Olympic movement.”

Introduced into the Summer Olympic program at the Stockholm Games 1912, modern pentathlon comprises five disciplines - fencing, swimming, horse riding and Laser-Run (running and shooting) – all of which take place in one day.

The 2017 UIPM World Cup series begins on February 24-26 in Los Angeles and culminates with the World Cup Final in Vilnius on June 23-26, which will be the first event broadcast on Eurosport under the new deal.

ENDS.