Skip to main content

MAX DRIVES RECORD WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY OLYMPICS COVERAGE TO NEAR ONE BILLION MINUTES VIEWED AFTER ONLY DAY TWO

29 July 2024

  • Streaming audience numbers for Paris 2024 surpass the whole of Tokyo 2020 after day two*
  • Five times more people stream Paris 2024 compared to Tokyo 2020 at the same stage
  • Warner Bros. Discovery record for daily gross retail subscriber additions in Europe

The introduction of Max, Warner Bros. Discovery’s enhanced streaming service, has helped transform the way audiences experience the Olympic Games across Europe. 

The total unique streaming viewers for Paris 2024 on Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platforms have already exceeded those from the entire last summer Olympic Games after only day two* in Paris. The opening weekend also saw Warner Bros. Discovery set a new record for retail gross subscriber acquisitions in a single day across Europe - well ahead of expectations.

Across both Max and discovery+, Paris 2024 has driven almost one billion streaming minutes, more than seven times higher than at the same point of Tokyo 2020 and already representing 75% of the total minutes from those Games. The time people are spending on Max and discovery+ is also significantly increased with average minutes consumed per viewer up 63% compared to Tokyo 2020 so far. 

Five times more streaming viewers have watched the Games when compared to the same period of Tokyo 2020. The launch of Max has been a key driving factor in audience growth, accounting for 80% of the total streaming audience to date. Saturday 27th July saw a record number of streaming viewers for Warner Bros. Discovery at the Olympic Games.

JB Perrette, CEO and President, Global Streaming and Games, Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are off to a fantastic start, and the recent rollout of Max in Europe is fueling record setting audiences and engagement. The powerful and unique combination of premium movies and scripted content, the best of real life entertainment, and many of the biggest events in international sports is bringing more people to Max and keeping them engaged for even longer.  It’s still early days, so we’re excited to build further on this early success over the next two weeks.”

Andrew Georgiou, President and Managing Director, Warner Bros. Discovery U.K & Ireland and WBD Sports Europe, said: “There has been much anticipation for Paris 2024, so it is hugely rewarding to see the quality of our sports production and user experience of our streaming platform resonate so strongly with viewers across Europe. In only a few days, we’ve seen how the combination of premium sport and entertainment brings an audience together on all platforms. Whether it’s the energy of our near 100-strong line-up of outstanding on-screen presenters and experts, incredible rooftop studios at WBD House in Paris or fan-first features such as gold medal alerts on Max and discovery+, Warner Bros. Discovery is delivering an Olympic experience beyond anything seen before.”

Engagement on Eurosport’s websites, offering free Olympic news and short-form video, are also up more than 43%. 

Eurosport's average linear audiences have increased in all major markets compared to Tokyo 2020 and up 98% through the Games so far, going against the trend of a decline in Total TV usage over recent years**. 

There are many local country highlights from the opening days of the Olympics. The Norway vs Sweden women’s handball match (25th July 2024) is the most watched broadcast on TVNorge in two years and since Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, enjoying a share of 63.9%, and third most watched in 2024 on Kanal 5 in Sweden with 30.6% share. 

Olympic Games Paris 2024 runs until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday 11 August 2024. Celebrating its first Olympics as Warner Bros. Discovery, the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be shown across nearly 50 markets in 19 languages on Max, discovery+ and through Eurosport on linear television.

*Day 1 & 2 of the Olympic Games were held on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th July 2024 but with sports events at the Games having commenced on Wednesday 24th July with the Opening Ceremony held on 26th July.
** Linear TV audience across the following territories: Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, U.K

Contacts

WBD Sports (Europe)

Contact us here.

Latest news

16/1/2026

“YOUR OLYMPICS. YOUR WAY.” NEW WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY CAMPAIGN SHOWCASES THE POWER OF CHOICE FOR MILANO CORTINA 2026

As the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina draws ever closer, Warner Bros. Discovery has released its anthem spot that captures the essence of fervent, patriotic support as well as experiencing the Olympics on its channels and platforms.

15/1/2026

THE 2026 WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES TEAMS

Ahead of the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) have revealed the official list of 40 teams, covering both Endurance (cross-country) and Gravity (downhill, enduro) formats, that are guaranteed to participate in every round of the series. The top 10 teams for each format will lock in an unprecedented two-year licence.

12/1/2026

EVERY MATCH FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN LIGHTS UP A MAMMOTH PERIOD OF LIVE SPORT FOR WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY IN EUROPE

HBO Max and discovery+ will stream every match at the Australian Open with Eurosport continuing its 32-year run of coverage and TNT Sports making its tournament debut*  Legendary line-up of tennis talent boasting over 50 Grand Slam titles between them, including John McEnroe, Jim Courier and Mats Wilander, will present coverage from Melbourne Park  Live coverage of the main draw begins on Sunday 18 January 

09/1/2026

TNT SPORTS ADDS LIV GOLF LEAGUE TO YEAR-ROUND SPORTS PORTFOLIO IN THE UK AND IRELAND THROUGH NEW MULTI-YEAR BROADCAST AGREEMENT

• LIV Golf 2026 Season Includes 14 Events Across Ten Countries and Five Continents • Featuring Professional Golf’s Elite, Legendary, and Rising Stars 

06/1/2026 - Last updated 8 January 2026

PANTHEON OF PUNDITS UNVEILED FOR TEAM WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY IN EUROPE FOR MILANO CORTINA 2026

• A legendary legion of winter sports experts boasting 109 Olympic medals line up to captivate viewers as part of WBD’s coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 • New original Olympic stories will introduce aspiring skiers and snowboarders to fans • Live coverage of the Winter Olympics on WBD platforms starts on Wednesday 4 February

23/12/2025 - Last updated 12 January 2026

WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY TO PRODUCE NEW ORIGINAL SERIES DOCUMENTING DEFENDER RALLY TEAM AT THE 2026 DAKAR RALLY

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) will produce a new three-part docuseries charting the journey of the Defender Rally team at its Dakar Rally debut Series narrated by actress Gillian Anderson will explore one of the toughest tests in motorsport Episode one premieres in January ahead of the 2026 Dakar Rally across Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region on Eurosport and TNT Sports 

22/12/2025

WBD SPORTS DRIVES CSR IMPACT IN THE 2025 WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES

Wide-sweeping commitments to promote sustainability and enhance inclusivity at the pinnacle of mountain biking, as part of WBD Sports’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) roadmap.

19/12/2025

TNT SPORTS CONFIRMED AS LIVE UK BROADCAST PARTNER FOR GLASGOW 2026

• New partnership signals re-imagining of Commonwealth Games • Fans will enjoy access to over 600 hours of coverage on TNT Sports in the UK & Ireland and streaming on HBO Max following its launch next year • Appointment of global industry-leader further evidence of strength of Commonwealth Games brand with Glasgow 2026 fast approaching, Amdavad 2030 confirmed and strong interest in 2034

19/12/2025

2025 WHOOP UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES BREAKS GROWTH RECORDS AS REFORMS SHOW EARLY SUCCESS

The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series delivered over 87 million cumulative views across WBD channels, attracted over 250,000 new followers on official social channels, and generated more than five million page views on its website A record 440,000 fans attended rounds on-site Growth supported by major reforms including new team qualification processes, simplified Downhill qualifying formats, and increased visibility for athletes and teams

15/12/2025

GOLDEN TRAIL WORLD SERIES: A RECORD-BREAKING 2025

More than 9,300 athletes from 63 nationalities took part in at least one race this season, which crowned Elhousine Elazzaoui and Madalina Florea as champions In 2025, the GTWS delivered over 67 hours of content on linear and on-demand TV and surpassed 90 million video views across its social platforms Season highlights, and exclusive interviews with the protagonists can be revisited in the documentary Unfinished Business, available on the GTWS YouTube channel

04/12/2025

MXGP SECURES LONG-TERM COVERAGE EXTENSION ON EUROSPORT AND TNT SPORTS

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 4th December 2026 – Infront Moto Racing is delighted to announce the renewal of its long-term partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe to guarantee live coverage of the FIM Motocross World Championship from 2026 through the 2030 season. 

21/11/2025

IBSF SEALS PARTNERSHIP WITH WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY FOR OLYMPIC SEASON

The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe have today announced a new partnership that will significantly increase global visibility of the thrilling sports of bobsleigh and skeleton across Europe during the 2025/2026 Olympic winter season.

18/11/2025

ENGLAND vs NEW ZEALAND DRIVES BEST-EVER RUGBY AUDIENCE ON TNT SPORTS AND DISCOVERY+

England’s dominant 33-19 victory over New Zealand on Saturday in the third round of the Quilter Nations Series achieved record-breaking viewership on TNT Sports* across its linear and streaming platforms – with audiences on par with this season’s Premier League football fixtures on TNT Sports. Audiences peaked for George Ford’s 75th minute penalty, smashing last year’s record high with a 27% audience growth. No single rugby fixture has reached a wider audience on TNT Sports achieving a +7% increase with volumes of streaming subscribers rising +32% against its previous best rugby audience for England vs New Zealand during the 2024 Autumn Nations Series.      Engagement across TNT Sports’ digital services also saw significant growth vs the same fixture last year, with the live match blog seeing a +52% increase in views with its bespoke match highlights seeing triple-digit growth rising by 333%. Overall, international rugby continues to demonstrate broad appeal with 22% of 25/26 Premier League and UEFA Champions League viewers on TNT Sports also watching this year’s Quilter Nations Series. England’s next fixture against Argentina is set to be an exciting encounter with the Pumas pulling back a 21-point deficit to beat Scotland 24-32 at Murrayfield. Coverage is live this Sunday from 3pm on TNT Sports and discovery+     ENDS   *Including all rugby broadcasts on BT Sport

14/11/2025

ENGLAND LEGEND TO JOIN TNT SPORTS’ TEAM FOR THE NRMA ASHES SERIES

TNT Sports’ coverage of the upcoming NRMA Ashes Series will feature one of the game’s all-time greats.

07/11/2025

SIMBA PARTNERS WITH TNT SPORTS IN THE UK AND IRELAND

TNT Sports announces the sleep tech company Simba as an official channel partner for its coverage of the Emirates FA Cup and the Adobe Women’s FA Cup from the 2025/26 season. The deal was brokered by Sky Media, TNT Sports’ advertising sales partner in the UK and Ireland.