Eurosport Taps UEFA Exec to Lead Olympics Coverage

LONDON: Discovery Communications has appointed Bernard Ross, who joins from The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), to the newly created role of Eurosport’s chief operating officer and general manager of the Olympic Games.

In his new position, Ross will be tasked with the delivery of the Olympic Games across Europe and will lead all production, logistics and organizational aspects of the planning for the Games. With a particular focus on Germany, Norway and Sweden, Ross’s goal will be to ensure that viewers have access to an immersive and localized experience on Discovery and Eurosport’s network of channels and consumer products across all screens. Ross will begin his new role in January. He will be based in Paris, reporting directly to Peter Hutton, the CEO of Eurosport. Ross joins from The Union of European Football Associations, where he gained experience in live sports, broadcast and digital innovation.

JB Perrette, the president and CEO of Discovery Networks International, commented, “On day one, Bernie will take our team to a new level of excellence. His world-class experience in sports production and relentless pursuit of innovation will help us deliver the ultimate Olympic Games experience.”

Hutton said: “Eurosport will bring to life the stories that matter most for viewers, whether it is in markets such as Germany, where Eurosport is the exclusive home of the Olympic Games, or in other European countries where we will work alongside national broadcasters. For our production team the scale of the challenge and the size of the opportunity is huge as we continue to transform our brand. In Bernie, we have someone who will drive this operation with knowledge and experience on both linear and digital platforms across Europe.”

Ross added: “Following a successful 11 years at UEFA, I am delighted to take this opportunity to ensure that the Olympic Games captivates as wide an audience as possible across Europe, bringing a differentiated approach to delivering engaging coverage across all screens. With Discovery’s commitment in the Olympic Games, along with other premium sports rights, this is clearly a transformative period for the business, thrilling fans across Europe and bringing the ultimate sporting spectacle to life through a redefined viewer experience.”