Discovery Communications Launches International Ad-Sales Division

LONDON: Discovery Communications has created One Discovery World, a new international ad-sales division intended to maximize the value for advertisers of the company’s portfolio of TV channels and digital products across 220 markets.

Through One Discovery World, clients will have the ability to connect with key audiences and genres across multiple platforms and networks, including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Science, Turbo and Eurosport. One Discovery World will provide a suite of assets and services to Discovery Communications’s clients.

“Advertisers and brands have evolved well beyond the ad break to embed effectively at the center of popular culture,” said Jonathan Davies, the senior VP and managing director of advertiser partnerships, who leads the new Discovery Networks International and Eurosport ad-sales team. “We have cultivated a strong ad-sales leadership team to meet this changing dynamic, and coupled with Discovery’s incredible portfolio, including Eurosport and the Olympic Games, we are uniquely positioned to provide bespoke creative and strategic content solutions to the world’s top sponsors and advertisers, and at the highest levels of service.”

“Eurosport and the Olympic Games will ignite viewers’ curiosity, before, during and after the games,” added Davies. “Sport provides us with an opportunity to work with sponsors to pair our must-have content and passionate audiences with compelling advertising solutions to drive brand awareness for clients that is both locally relevant and globally impactful.”

The new One Discovery World leadership team includes the following seasoned international ad-sales executives: Viviane Paxinos, the VP of ad sales for London; Sylvain Roger, the VP of ad sales for Paris, responsible for Southern Europe and Switzerland; and Atsushi Saito, the VP of ad sales for the Asia Pacific. The team also includes Deena Edwards, the VP of Olympic and strategic partnerships; Tricia Thompson, the director of Olympic and strategic partnerships for ad sales for the EMEA region; and Paul Harper, the executive creative director.

Additionally, Davies will participate in a panel discussion in the The Salon @ SXSW, a future-facing fringe event hosted by MediaCom today, Tuesday, March 15, in Austin, Texas. Conal Byrne, the senior VP of digital media at Discovery Communications; Cory Key, the VP of digital and VR for Discovery’s in-house agency team; and Brian Brushwood of Discovery and TestTube Scam School will join Davies on the Storytelling & Technology panel to talk about the unique blend of curiosity and passion for new storytelling platforms and techniques that Discovery Communications is applying to Discovery.