MONTH-LONG FESTIVAL OF WINTER SPORTS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS TO BE BROADCAST ON WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY EUROPE PLATFORMS
• Four World Championship events to be screened on discovery+, Eurosport and Eurosport App in February and into March
• Kicks-off with the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Courchevel on 6 February
• Warner Bros. Discovery Europe to show in excess of 120 hours of LIVE winter sports World Championship coverage including alpine skiing, biathlon, snowboarding, freestyle and freeskiing among others
Fans of winter sports are in for a month of adrenaline-charged action featuring the greatest athletes the sport has to offer with over 120 hours of live coverage across four World Championships events on discovery+*, Eurosport and Eurosport App.
Boasting unrivalled expertise and some of the most knowledgeable voices in winter sports on its screens and supplemented by comprehensive coverage via Eurosport’s digital platforms, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports will be the true Home of Winter Sports across Europe this February and March.
Scott Young, SVP Content and Production at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “As the home of winter sports, we are uniquely placed to harness our deep sports expertise, comprehensive rights portfolio covering the biggest events on the calendar and the unmatched scale of our channels and platforms to engage millions of winter sports fans every year.
“In 2023, our commitment to content will not only serve fans with more than 600 winter sports events, with more than 120 live hours across four World Championships in the next month alone, but we will also tell the stories of the athletes competing to truly unlock the power of this diverse and exhilarating sport. Boosted by the views of some of the most recognisable winter sports stars, we are confident we can deliver the best possible viewing experience that will help our winter sports coverage reach even greater heights.”
Quartet of World Championships events kicks off in Courchevel
The month-long carnival of winter sports action starts with the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships** 2023. Thirty-six hours of live coverage, starting on 6 February, across linear and digital platforms will be accompanied by an array of respected experts throughout the fortnight of competition from Courchevel. Olympic gold medallist Tina Maze, Italian Olympian Francesca Marsaglia and former professional alpine skier Gauthier De Tessieres will be on-site in the south-east of France offering their thoughts and analysis to viewers watching across the continent.
In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery will partner with British World Cup skier Dave Ryding to create exclusive content giving fans an insight into the lives of a winter sports athlete competing at the very top of their profession.
Biathletes to bring the heat to Oberhof
After a two-year absence, the IBU Biathlon World Championships*** return this February with superstars of the discipline such as Johannes Thingnes Bø, Hanna Öberg, Denise Herrmann-Wick and Martin Ponsiluoma all vying for glory. Olympic gold medallist Michael Roesch will be on-site in Oberhof, Germany as Eurosport’s biathlon expert, where Warner Bros. Discovery will screen 14 hours of live coverage on discovery+*, Eurosport and Eurosport App from 8-19 February.
Winter sports daredevils head to Eastern Europe
The 2023 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships** head to Bakuriani, Georgia (19 February – 5 March) with winter sports fans across Europe having access to 26 hours of live coverage via discovery+, Eurosport and Eurosport App. French freestyle skier Kevin Rolland will be on-site for Warner Bros. Discovery analysing the action as some of the biggest personalities in the sport will compete for 30 medals in total – 16 for freestyle and freeski and 14 for snowboarding
Respected experts on-site in Planica
Two of winter sports most successful athletes Martin Schmitt and Justyna Kowalczyk will be based in Slovenia for the 11 days of competition at the 43rd FIS Nordic World Ski Championships** from Planica in Slovenia (22 February – 5 March). Viewers across Europe will be able to enjoy 47 hours of live coverage across discovery+*, Eurosport and Eurosport App as the best male and female athletes in the world compete in a host of ski jumping, Nordic combined and cross-country events. Norway has dominated every one of the Nordic World Ski Championships since 1999 with this year’s event the first one to feature the Nordic combined mixed team event.
Fans in Poland and France will be able to enjoy additional winter sports content around a selection of the main events alongside the action with Chalet Club and Wintersports Studio giving viewers localised viewpoints so they can follow their local heroes during the competitions that matter to them. Check local listings for timings.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s coverage of the live action from each of the World Championships events will be complemented by reporting and analysis on Eurosport’s digital platforms that will include highlights, expert opinions, clips from press conferences, behind-the-scenes clips and a series of explainers. Fans watching on digital platforms will also have a multi-feed offer available with 11 languages to choose from.
In 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports will screen an unparalleled level of live and world-class winter sports action for fans including more than 3,500 live hours and 600 races across Eurosport and discovery+. Its content and editorial offer on Eurosport.com covers every major winter sports event and every story from the world’s greatest athletes competing.
Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports successfully scaled coverage of the biggest celebration of winter sports to viewers across 50 markets in Europe when it engaged record audiences for Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 including brining every moment to 156 million Europeans who actively engaged with winter sports content on its platforms.
Key dates for the diary:
• 6 - 19 February - FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2023**, Courchevel, France
• 8 - 19 February - IBU Biathlon World Championships***, Oberhof, Germany
• 19 February - 5 March - FIS Freestyle Ski, Snowboard and Freeski World Championships**, Bakuriani, Georgia
• 22 February - 5 March - FIS Nordic World Ski Championships**, Planica, Slovenia
*Streaming is available on discovery+ in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK and Ireland.
**Exc Nordics and Iceland
***Exc Nordics, Iceland, Poland