New Olympic Games Partnerships for Discovery

LONDON: Discovery Communications has signed seven new partnerships regarding the Olympic Games in Europe, including one with Polish national broadcaster Telewizja Polska.

The agreements cover free-to-air audiovisual rights for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Poland, as well as in Estonia, Georgia, Iceland, Latvia and Lithuania. Within each specific territory, Discovery has sub-licensed to Eesti Meedia, Georgian Public Broadcasting, RÚV, Latvijas Televīzija and Lietuvos Olimpinis Fondas.

Peter Hutton, the CEO of Eurosport, said: “We are excited and proud to work with partners that value the Olympic Games as much as we do, and help us achieve our ambition to bring the Games to more people on more screens than ever before. When you consider alongside our decision for Eurosport to retain the exclusive rights in Germany and our preparations for extensive coverage in Norway and Sweden, these new agreements are a further sign that we are well on track to delivering the ultimate Olympic Games experience.”

“Our collaboration with Lietuvos Olimpinis Fondas, managed by the Lithuanian Olympic Committee, is an example of how we are seeking and open to innovative partnerships which can best engage people in each market with the inspiration of the Games,” he added.

Kasia Kieli, the president of Discovery Networks Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “The new agreements are great news for everyone who is passionate about the Olympic Games, helping even more people to follow their heroes and immerse themselves in the heart of the action. We look forward to working with all our new partners and delivering the ultimate Games experience for every viewer in the region.”

Michael Lang, the president of international development, digital and Discovery Nordics, commenting on the news in Iceland, said: “Our agreement with RUV is a win for everyone in Iceland. Fans will have an outstanding choice of free-to-air coverage and every moment available on Eurosport’s platforms on air and digital.”

“When viewed alongside the exclusive coverage, powered by Eurosport, on Discovery-owned platforms in Norway and Sweden, fans in the Nordics will experience the Olympic Games to the very highest standard,” he added.

Adam Widomski, Eurosport’s channel director for Poland, added: “People across Poland are hugely passionate about the Olympic Games and the new agreement with Telewizja Polska will form part of an outstanding variety of coverage across free TV, dedicated sports programming and digital platforms. For fans wanting to follow every minute of their hero’s quest for gold, there is no better time to go on their Olympic Games journey.”