Olympics sees Discovery win subscriptions gold

Discovery has seen large subscription growth during the first nine days of the Olympics.

New digital subscriptions to its platforms in Europe, discovery+ and Eurosport, are already double what they gained for the entirety of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games.

In addition, nearly 750 million streaming minutes have been consumed on its services to date, which is nearly 18 times more than at the same time for PyeongChang.

Linear TV has also seen some impressive numbers, with audience shares in the Nordic countries - where the competition is free-to-air - getting to 78% in Norway (Handball, Spain vs. Norway); 67% in Sweden (Football, Sweden vs. Australia); and 60% in Sweden (Swimming).

275 million viewers have seen the games in Europe thanks to Discovery, with 100 million of those through its platforms and 175 million through sublicencing agreements with free-to-air partners. This is 10% higher reach than PyeongChang. Its pay-TV channels have also seen a 30% increase in audience share.

Eurosport in particular has impressed, with three times higher reach than at the same time as PyeongChang - with 54 million unique visitors in July.

Jean-Briac Perrette, president & CEO, Discovery International, said: “The Olympic Games is the biggest global event that goes far beyond sports and traditional sports audiences. When we look back at the first week, it is clear the Olympics has brought new and different audiences to our platforms in impressive numbers. The Tokyo Games are seeing digital numbers never seen before, and we are thrilled that so many fans across Europe are watching the Games on discovery+ and Eurosport Player.”

Andrew Georgiou, president of sports, Discovery, said: “It is fantastic to see our coverage and the stories we’re telling resonate so strongly with audiences throughout Europe. Whether through record digital engagement on Discovery’s platforms or large audience share on our networks, it is clear these Games are having a big impact.”

Images: Getty