Discovery Sports unveiled to showcase scale of group’s combined sports offering
Discovery Sports coverage includes more than 200 days of cycling a year
Discovery has introduced Discovery Sports as a new corporate brand to represent the dedicated group that operates its portfolio of sports brands, channels and platforms. Already collaborating across all aspects of content production, distribution and commercial activity, Discovery’s combined sports portfolio offers rights-holders and brand partners the opportunity to reach an audience of more than 130 million people every month across all platforms where consumers are spending time – free-to-air, pay-TV, streaming and online.
The move provides an external corporate identity that is said to embody Discovery’s sports proposition. It highlights Discovery’s combined strength in sports media, spanning the scale of the discovery+ streaming service and its broad free-to-air networks in Europe; the breadth of sports offered through Eurosport in more than 75 markets and 230 million homes; the depth of international super-fan services with Global Cycling Network (GCN), Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN), Golf Digest and GOLFTV, as well as its events management and promotion arm Eurosport Events. While each of Discovery’s consumer-facing sports brands will continue to be presented and operate as usual, Discovery Sports will support collaboration within all areas of the combined sports business that Discovery takes to market.
Andrew Georgiou will lead the full portfolio of Discovery’s sports brands and businesses as president of sports. Continuing to report to Discovery International CEO Jean-Briac Perrette, Georgiou is adding responsibility for GOLFTV and Golf Digest to his expanded portfolio. He already oversees Eurosport and Discovery’s global sports rights and marketing solutions, as well as Play Sports Group – which includes GCN – and Eurosport Events.
Perrette said: “We have an unparalleled multi-platform offering for rights holders and marketers that uniquely provides the broad reach of television with the targeting and interactive capabilities of digital. With two Olympic Games in quick succession and Eurosport’s live content now rolling out onto discovery+ in many international markets, there has never been a greater opportunity to leverage the scale and expertise of our sports offer.
“As we organise all our sports business under Discovery Sport, I am hugely excited to have Andrew lead the charge for this consolidated group. His expertise, strategic vision and strong relationships have steered our sports business through last year’s challenging period for live sports and set us on a course for further transformation and growth going forward.”
Georgiou said: “When taken together, Discovery’s portfolio of sports brands, channels and platforms is unrivalled for its ability to engage audiences however the viewer chooses to watch. From the scale of Discovery’s free-to-air networks, to the breadth of sports offering through Eurosport and the depth of super-fan engagement from GOLFTV, Golf Digest and GCN, taken together Discovery Sport serves passionate fans everywhere and brings limitless opportunities for our brand and rights-holder partners.
“By collaborating as one global team, Discovery presents an unprecedented level of sports media expertise. We bring the only truly 360º offer, from platforms to promotion, that can truly grow an event, series or even an entire sport. Together we are able to unlock the power of sport with even greater impact, thanks to inspirational storytelling, best-in-class live coverage and sports journalism. This potential will only grow over the coming months as we increasingly bring our live sports content to discovery+ and the broad household audience it engages every day.”
Discovery Sport’s services engage fans and broad audiences in more than 200 markets and in over 20 languages, connecting them with the greatest sporting events in the world. This includes the Olympics Games, tennis’ Grand Slams, cycling’s Grand Tours and more than 200 days of racing a year, the PGA Tour year-round, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and FIA eTouring Car World Cup, and every major winter sport world championship and world cup event.