Discovery Communications has secured a new Olympic Games agreement with Belarus National State Broadcasting.
The partnership includes the upcoming PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Discovery Communications has sub- exclusive FTA audio visual and non-exclusive radio rights for the Games. While the national broadcaster has been granted digital rights for the content they broadcast on their linear television channels, Eurosport maintains rights to air every moment on pay-TV and through its digital services.
Commenting on the development, Kasia Kieli, president of Discovery Networks Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “Our new agreement with Belarus National State Broadcasting will help guarantee that the country can get behind their athletes at the Games and fans can see every minute through Eurosport channels and digital platforms. Through this partnership we take another step in our goal to bring the Games to more people on more screens than ever before.”
Anna Pak, country manager North East Europe at Discovery Communications, added: “For people in Belarus who love the Olympic Games, the new agreement is exciting news and forms part of a viewing offer which allows them to watch the Games in the way that suits them best. Whether it is cheering their favorite athlete or following a favorite sport, they’ll be able to enjoy an even more passionate and in-depth Olympic journey.”
Aliaxandr Kaziukevich, head of sports channel Belarus 5, said: “Belarus National State Broadcasting has exclusively aired the Olympic Games in Belarus for many years, and we are happy we can continue to give our TV audiences and fans free access to the best moments of the Belarusian athletes in the Olympic arenas. The cooperation with Discovery Communications will enable us to take yet another step towards the development of sports broadcasting on the national media market.”
Jean-Thierry Augustin, president, Sports and Olympic Development at Discovery Networks International, said: “Our strategy to partner with the very best national broadcasters across Europe to sublicense Olympic Games coverage is proving a great success. We are proud to have already concluded a range of agreements, offering fair value to all parties and delivering on our commitment to connect even more people with the inspiration of the Games.”
