BT Sport set to join Discovery in joint venture

BT Group has entered exclusive discussions with Discovery to create a new sport and entertainment offering for the UK.

The business will be a 50/50 joint venture, combining Discovery’s Eurosport service in the UK and Ireland with BT Sport.

The proposed venture would have a combined range of premium sport rights, including the Olympic Games, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, cycling Grand Tours, tennis Grand Slams, the winter sports World Cup season and Premiership Rugby.

It will be “committed to retaining BT Sport’s existing major sports broadcast rights”, while BT Sport customers will get access to Discovery’s sport and wider entertainment content, including the Discovery+ app.

BT Group is aiming to conclude the discussions with Discovery, Inc. over the next month, with the new company becoming operational later this year.

BT Consumer chief executive Marc Allera said: “The proposed joint venture with Discovery, Inc. would create an exciting new sports broadcasting entity for the UK and would act as a perfect home for our BT Sport business. With a shared ambition for growth, as well as the combination of our world class sports assets along with Discovery’s premium sports and entertainment content, our customers will benefit from even more content in more places.”

JB Perrette, president & chief executive of Discovery Streaming & International, added: “We are excited about this opportunity with BT Group to offer consumers a stronger and simplified combined sport offering in the UK and Ireland, and, more broadly, to advance our strategy of bringing sports and entertainment to more consumers on the platform of their choice. We are aligned with BT Group on a shared vision to maximise the value and appeal of our respective UK sport assets, and we look forward to concluding a deal in the coming weeks.”

The news follows widespread speculation that DAZN would secure a deal to buy BT Sport, but it issued a statement this morning (3 February) indicating that the potential deal had become “uneconomical”.

Broadcast first reported Discovery’s ambition to launch a joint venture with BT Sport in December.

You can hear the industry’s reactions, from production companies, manufacturers, tech suppliers, and more, here.