IOC AWARDS DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS EUROPEAN BROADCAST RIGHTS FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES

This announcement kicks off a long-term partnership between the biggest global sporting event, the Olympic Games and leading global media company, Discovery Communications. Watch the announcement now!

IOC awards all TV and multiplatform broadcast rights in Europe to Discovery and Eurosport for 2018-2024 Olympic Games

Partners Biggest Live Global Sporting Event with Leading Global Media Company
All Rights on All Screens Reaching Over 700 million People Across Europe
More Games coverage than ever before across Free-to-Air, Pay-TV, Online and Mobile
Reinforces Eurosport as the #1 European Sports Platform and pan-European Home of Olympic Sports

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that all TV and multi-platform broadcast rights in Europe for the four Olympic Games in the 2018-2024 period have been awarded to Discovery Communications, the parent company of Eurosport.

Today's announcement kicks off a long-term partnership between the biggest global sports event, the Olympic Games, and leading global media company, Discovery Communications. With an average of 10 channels in every market and the #1 European online and OTT sports offerings, Discovery and Eurosport will deliver more coverage across more screens than ever before to over 700 million people across Europe. Discovery and Eurosport's coverage will be augmented by strong free-to-air access and innovative partnerships with broadcasters and distributors to bring the Games to life like never before. In a world of increasingly "anytime, anywhere" viewing, the Olympic Games are an unparalleled live event that aggregate enormous audiences and capture the world's attention in a way that continues to become more valuable for marketers, distributors and fans.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: "This is a significant agreement for Discovery and the IOC, and we are excited to have Eurosport, the pan-European home of Olympic sports, as a partner. This agreement ensures comprehensive coverage of the Olympic Games across Europe, including the guarantee to provide extensive free-to-air television coverage in all territories. Discovery and Eurosport have demonstrated a major commitment to the Olympic Games, to Olympic sports and to the future of the Olympic Movement. The revenue generated from this long-term partnership will be redistributed by the IOC across the Olympic Movement to support the development of sport around the world. Discovery and Eurosport have also made an exciting commitment to partner with the IOC to develop the new Olympic Channel across Europe. Above all, this agreement ensures that sports fans in Europe will be able to enjoy excellent coverage of the Olympic Games and Olympic sports, both during and outside Games time, on their platform of choice."

Discovery Communications President and CEO David Zaslav added: "Today is a historic day as we proudly add the Olympic rings to Discovery Communications' portfolio of offerings. The long-term programming commitment with President Bach and the IOC reaffirms Eurosport's position as the leader in sports across Europe, and will significantly enhance Eurosport's presence on all platforms. With Eurosport's proud and long-standing tradition of broadcasting many winter and summer sports showcased during the Olympics, adding the Olympic Games, the greatest live event in the world, is a perfect editorial and strategic fit. But most of all, this new partnership is an exciting win for European sports fans as we will deliver record amounts of content across platforms to ensure the Olympic flame burns bright all year long."

Discovery acquired the exclusive rights, valued at EUR 1.3 billion, across all platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription/pay-TV television, internet and mobile phone in all languages across 50 countries and territories on the European continent. Consistent with IOC and local market requirements, Discovery has committed to broadcasting a minimum of 200 hours of the Olympic Games and 100 hours of the Olympic Winter Games on free-to-air television during the Games period. Discovery will sub-license a portion of the rights in many markets across Europe.

Discovery's 30-year history of being the global leader in non-fiction content makes the company uniquely positioned to capture and deliver the remarkable stories and characters associated with the Games not just every two years, but every year and throughout the year. With almost half of Eurosport's existing programming being Olympic sports, the combination of its strong legacy in winter sports, cycling, tennis and athletics, and now the Olympic Games, will allow Discovery and Eurosport to engage passionate fans around these key sports 365 days a year. Discovery and Eurosport will have access to the Olympic emblems and the rich Olympic video library and archive to help solidify Eurosport's position as the pan-European home of Olympic sports. The partners have also agreed to cooperate closely on the rollout of the IOC's Olympic Channel, taking advantage of Eurosport's #1 online sports destination - Eurosport.com - and leading OTT service, the Eurosport Player.
Juan Antonio Samaranch, IOC Executive Board Member and delegate IOC Member for European broadcast rights said: "We are delighted to have reached this agreement, which we believe will bring fantastic coverage of the Olympic Games and the Olympic values to the largest audience in Europe across all media platforms. Discovery and Eurosport will ensure the exposure of the Olympic Games through their own TV channels and media platforms, and, where relevant, by reaching sublicensing partnerships with other broadcasters in the various territories. Olympic fans will also benefit from comprehensive digital coverage on Eurosport's leading pan-regional digital platforms."

JB Perrette, President of Discovery Networks International, added: "We took control of Eurosport a year ago and embarked on a long-term mission to reinvigorate and strengthen its networks and brand. Today's announcement is an incredibly exciting step forward on that journey. Eurosport's unmatched technical prowess and ability to deliver the Olympic Games to 50 countries in 20 languages across multiple platforms is an important win for sports fans. We are thrilled and humbled to partner with one of the most recognised and powerful global brands, that not only delivers the biggest global event but also shares our company's DNA of engaging and inspiring people in addition to entertaining them."
The agreement covers the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang in 2018, and the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo in 2020, as well as the Olympic Games in 2022 and 2024, the host cities of which have yet to be elected.

Discovery and Eurosport boast unique assets and capabilities to bring the Olympic Games to more fans on more screens than ever before. With an average of 10 TV channels in every market, local infrastructure and teams on the ground across the region, and a 30-year legacy of developing great characters and stories, Discovery and Eurosport will bring the greatest sporting event to life like never before. Beyond free-to-air and PayTV channels, Eurosport Player, DPlay, Eurosport.com and Eurosport 360 will deliver more coverage and immersive experiences to passionate fans across all screens.

IOC AWARDS DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS EUROPEAN BROADCAST RIGHTS FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES

1. 00:00 General atmospheric (Olympic Rings, flags)
2. 00:05 Atmospheric shots of Thomas Bach welcoming David Zaslav to the IOC HQ
3. 00:15 Shots of the signing of the agreement
4. 00:20 SOUNDBITE: (English) Thomas Bach, President, International Olympic Committee: 
"We are very happy to have announced today that Discovery, Eurosport and the IOC will co-operate for 4 editions of the Olympic Games starting with the Olympic Winter Games 2018 until the Olympic Games 2024."
5. 00.42 Shots of contracts between IOC and Discovery
6. 00:47 SOUNDBITE: (English) David Zaslav, President, Discovery Communications
"It's a true partnership with the IOC, it's a partnership in terms of the cultural spirit, Discovery is about satisfying curiosity, quality content, telling great stories and inspiring people. That's the very heart of what the Olympic movement is about so it's a great fit and we look to the next decade to partner with the IOC to bring the Olympics not just to free to air on broadcast but to pay TV to phone to every device. There is over 700 Million people here in Europe all that grew up loving the Olympics and loving the Olympic Games as well as the Olympic sports."
7. 01:23 Thomas Bach and David Zaslav shaking hands
8. 01:32 SOUNDBITE: (English) Thomas Bach, President, International Olympic Committee: 
"We want on one hand the great success, widest possible audience for the Olympic Games, on the other hand we also would like to address this audience a beyond and in between the different Olympic Games. This idea has been fully grasped by Discovery and Eurosport. So this is why we are excited not only about the TV rights agreement but also very much excited about this future cooperation in the Olympic channel because this will promote the Olympic sports and the Olympic values 365 days a year."
9. 02.26 Clip Olympic moments
10. 02:38 SOUNDBITE: (English) David Zaslav, President, Discovery Communications
"Starting in 2022 we have all the rights to the Olympics exclusively on our platforms in all countries in Europe other than Russia. For 2018 and 2020 we have all rights of the Olympics across Europe on all our platforms exclusively in the exception of the UK and France which were grabbed the rights previously but those rights we will get them in 2022 and 2024. The only country that excluded of that package is Russia."
11. 03.12 animation Discovery Communications with all channels
12. 03.22 End

Copyright © International Olympic Committee – all rights reserved

The film, images, sound recordings and artwork contained in this news content are strictly for editorial use, exclusively within the framework of news reports around the announcement of the European rights holding broadcaster for the Olympic Games. All other rights are reserved. The present authorization is limited to the use of thirty (30) seconds in length per excerpt and two (2) minutes in length in the aggregate for all Olympic Games excerpts and will terminate on July 29, 2015. 
Any unauthorised use including, but not limited to copying, editing, lending, renting, hiring, selling, licensing, exhibiting, public performance, radio or television broadcasting or media release or any other transmission (including without limitation Internet or mobile phones) or otherwise dealing with these images or any part thereof is strictly prohibited, without the prior written approval of the IOC. 

Discovery has acquired the rights in all territories in Europe except for the Russian Federation. 
* Territories included:
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France**, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom**, Vatican City State
** 2022-2024 only (in France and the United Kingdom). Broadcast rights in these territories have already been awarded for the Olympic Games in 2018 and 2020:
France 2018-2020: http://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-awards-broadcast-rights-in-france-for-2014-2016-2018-and-2020-olympic-games-to-france-t-l-visions/133019

UK 2018-2020: http://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-awards-broadcast-rights-in-united-kingdom-for-2014-2016-2018-and-2020-olympic-games-to-the-bbc/168427