Discovery Signs Olympics Deal with Austria’s ORF

MUNICH/VIENNA: Discovery Communications has inked a long-term pact with the public broadcaster ORF, making the events of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games available for Austrian audiences across multiple screens.

ORF will exclusively sublicense free-to-air audiovisual and radio rights for its channels from Discovery Communications, for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and 2020 Olympic Games. The sublicense package will include selected digital rights to the content ORF broadcasts on its linear channels. Eurosport will hold pay rights to air all Olympic Games action on its German-language channels available in Austria, as well as across all digital, OTT and mobile platforms.

Kasia Kieli, the president of Discovery Networks Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “We have secured a groundbreaking Olympic partnership for viewers in Austria, ensuring that the Olympic Games remains accessible to the broadest possible audience and delivered to the highest standard. The agreement is a perfect example of how Discovery will deliver more coverage of the Olympic Games, across more screens than ever before.”

Dr. Alexander Wrabetz, ORF’s director general, said: “With the acquisition of the rights for the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games from the Olympic rights holder Discovery, we are able to offer our Austrian sports fans the most important winter and summer sports events in full extent and in the usual top quality. It is that proven and internationally well-recognized quality of ORF sports reporting, that made a contractual partnership with Discovery possible. Knowing that their product is in the right hands, my thanks go to Discovery and also to the negotiating team of the ORF under the direction of Hans Peter Trost and Martin Szenercsi.”

Susanne Aigner-Drews, the senior VP and general manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland at Discovery Networks Deutschland, commented: “It is fantastic that this agreement will guarantee that sports fans in Austria won’t miss a single minute of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and 2020 Olympic Games. ORF’s rich Olympic Games heritage, coupled with Discovery’s innovative storytelling and Eurosport’s year-round coverage of Olympic sports, allows us to not only bring the best moments, but also every Olympic moment to people across all screens. Austria is a passionate winter sports country and together with our partner ORF we are proud of being able to tell the inspiring stories of Austrian athletes and their journey as they look to fulfill their dreams.”