BAMTech, Discovery Communications to form BAMTech Europe; Eurosport Digital announced as first client

BAMTech, in a collaborative partnership with Discovery Communications, will form BAMTech Europe, a digital technology company designed in a model similar to its successful American-based predecessor. In addition, BAMTech Europe announced that Eurosport Digital has come on board as the new entity’s first client.

According to an official release, BAMTech Europe will be dedicated to working with European content owners, broadcasters and OTT platforms to enhance their digital capabilities, reach and performance, much in the way BAMTech does for its clients in the U.S. today.

“The collaboration of Discovery’s breadth of live sports content, including the Olympic Games, and BAMTech will bring European fans access to these valuable events like never before,” Bob Bowman, MLB President, Business & Media said in the release. “Discovery has been a global leader in media and will be a great partner in expanding BAMTech to Europe, with an eye to developing new models for delivering content in the best interests of customers. We can’t wait to get started.”

BAMTech Europe will be formed through a joint venture between Discovery Communications and BAMTech LLC, a subsidiary of, MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) and also comes less than two weeks after Discovery announced its digital content partnership to form Group Nine Media.

“Discovery has been investing internationally in new business models and brands for decades, resulting in the most extensive global footprint in media,” said David Zaslav, President and Chief Executive Officer at Discovery Communications. “The formation of this world-class technology provider, BAMTech Europe, with our partners at BAMTech, accelerates Discovery’s long-term strategy to bring our premium content to more viewers across more screens than ever before.”

As the venture’s first partner, Eurosport Digital will be served by BAMTech’s back-end video platform and services beginning in 2017. All of Eurosport Digital’s products, which includes Eurosport.com and Eurosport Player – a top subscription-based OTT sports platform that serves up to 52 countries – will be controlled by BAMTech. The partnership also comes on the heels of the recent appointment of Ralph Rivera as Managing Director of Eurosport Digital.

In addition, Eurosport and BAMTech will work together to make premium sports events more widely available across multiple screens.  This will include current and future rights acquired by BAMTech as well as joint acquisitions for other European sports rights, from across the globe, for Eurosport’s digital platform.