Advanced Television

Discovery, Olympic partnership seeks younger audience engagement

July 28, 2017

Discovery Communications and the Olympic Channel have unveiled a new partnership to engage a new, younger and wider audience in Europe with the Olympic Movement, bringing to life the inspiring human stories of ambition, sacrifice and achievement all year round across more screens.

The agreement covers 50 markets in Europe and will advance the shared ambition to further amplify Eurosport’s live coverage of the Olympic Games with compelling content that connects more audiences with the power of sport and the Olympic Movement 365 days a year.

Launching August 2nd, fans will see: Olympic Channel-branded programming hours and content launching on Eurosport and Eurosport Player; Eurosport presence on the Olympic Channel; an Olympic Channel digital portal on Eurosport.com; and digital amplification of content through dedicated presence on Eurosport’s local Facebook pages and Twitter handles.

Eurosport will use its sport production capabilities and expertise to produce new and exclusive original content for sports fans across all platforms, as well as access to localised content, original series, news and other engaging features. The Olympic Channel will promote Eurosport’s platforms, with its coverage of live sporting events and the Olympic Games.

Branded programming starting August 2nd on Eurosport will feature content including:

60 minute specials:

  • Hall of Fame series: reliving the greatest stories from most memorable Olympic Games – from Rio 2016 to Lillehammer 1994.

Short form video content on all-screens:

  • On the Line: A fascinating inside track on some of the most famous Olympic Games moments as told through exclusive archival footage and insightful interviews.
  • Against All Odds presented by Bridgestone: Inspirational stories of athletes who’ve overcome great personal and professional before achieving success at the highest levels. 
  • The Olympics: On The Record: The most famous Olympic records are presented in entertaining packages using recreations, animations and a mix of other visual methods.

Theme Week:

  • Eurosport will present an annual theme week filled with round-the-clock Olympic sports programming and content.

The partnership further deepens Eurosport’s position as the Home of the Olympic Games in Europe, providing fans with the best live and on demand sport so they never miss a moment of the athlete’s journey to the Games, whether watching on TV, streaming on mobile, tablet or online through Eurosport Player. It complements the Olympic Channel global digital platform, which was launched by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following the Closing Ceremony of Rio 2016, as it continues to develop localised versions leading to more personalised experiences for Olympic fans around the world. 

“This long-term partnership with the Olympic Channel raises the bar in terms of delivering the very best Olympic stories to more audiences in the most accessible way,” commented Jean-Briac Perrette, Discovery Networks International President and CEO. “For Eurosport, the Olympic Games is always much greater than two weeks of sport. Establishing a long-term partnership with the Olympic Channel to produce, distribute and showcase the very best Olympic content will significantly strengthen our ongoing programming that will keep the Olympic flame burning all year-round.” 

“We are thrilled to partner with Eurosport to bring audiences closer to the Olympic Movement through a more personalised experience through the Olympic Channel,” declared Mark Parkman, general manager of the IOC’s global Olympic Channel. “As we approach our one-year anniversary, this new partnership is an important step as we continue to grow and expand the platform across the globe with localised versions further enabling fans to discover, engage and share in the power of sport and the excitement of the Olympic Games.” 

“The IOC has been an extremely strong partner during the preparations for our first Games as Home of the Olympics at PyeongChang 2018,” added Peter Hutton, CEO Eurosport. We are pleased this new collaboration will deepen our relationship and extend our Olympic storytelling even further. When we tell Olympic stories we believe it is important to bring something different. This is why we don’t just replay the Olympic archive but make it show fans something new – such as when we lined up Usain Bolt, Carl Lewis and Jessie Owens together on-screen for the first time in Race of Legends.”

The agreement runs through 2024, which coincides with the duration of Discovery Communications’ current tenure as Home of the Olympics and exclusive multimedia rights holder for the Olympic Games in Europe.

 

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