Discovery outlines post-Olympics broadcast plan

Discovery is to show over 500 hours of live sport across its linear, digital, and OTT platforms over the next month, as it looks to build on big audiences from the Olympics. 

From 14 August - 5 September La Vuelta will be shown across Eurosport, discovery+ and the Global Cycling Network (GCN) with total exclusivity across Europe and Asia - except for Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands and Norway. In addition, GCN+ will have long and short-form highlights of the competition in multiple languages, as well as quizzes and polls on its app.

The cycling Grand Tour event will be complemented by analysis shows like The Breakaway hosted by Orla Chennaoui in the UK, Netherlands, and Denmark and featuring pundits such as Sir Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Sean Kelly. In Spain there will be La Montera with Alberto Contador, and in France the Rois de la Pédale show continues.

24 Hours of Le Mans runs 21-22 August, and expanded coverage starts with an exclusive 30 minute documentary, Race to Le Mans, to premiere on Eurosport and available to stream via discovery+ from 16 August. It will describe what the competition has become today.

Lesly Boitrelle and Guenaelle Longly, nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen and Top Gear USA’s Jethro Bovingdon will front Discovery’s programming around the race, which will include live coverage of Free Practice, Qualifying and the race itself. Viewers in more than 50 markets across Europe and Indian Subcontinent region can watch on Eurosport, in the US it will be exclusively on Motortrends TV, and in Canada on Velocity. It will also be available through those channels on discovery+ in available markets.

Finally, the US Open is running from 30 August - 12 September, with Eurosport airing it across Europe. Barbara Schett and two-time Grand Slam finalist Alex Corretja will spearhead Eurosport’s coverage from the Cube studio in London with seven-time Grand Slam winner Mats Wilander on-site at Flushing Meadows. Mischa Zverev will also provide analysis and front the Mischa’s Missions series from onsite.

Elsewhere, Boris Becker will front coverage in Germany, and Justine Henin in France. There will be a number of documentaries and other content complementing the live action, such as Novak’s Everest - which will chart the Serb’s attempt to complete the Calendar Slam of The Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. It hasn’t been done since Steffi Graf in 1988 and since Rod Laver in 1969 for the men’s tour specifically.

There will also be British Open snooker on Eurosport, 16-22 August.

Scott Young, SVP content and production, Discovery Sports, said: “Building on our coverage of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 where we engaged millions of people across Europe with our content and storytelling, we are set to continue to serve sports fans with even more live action from some of the biggest events in the sporting calendar. We have some of the best presenters, experts and commentators in sports broadcasting, unlocking each sport by sharing their knowledge and telling the stories that matter.”

First image credit: Getty
Second image credit: Alex Lynn and Nicki Thim, Le Mans 2020 (Photo by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER_AFP via Getty Images)