Discovery Communications has entered into a long-term European partnership with BAMTech.
It includes the formation of BAMTech Europe, a new digital technology provider, dedicated to working with content owners, broadcasters and OTT platforms to enhance their digital capabilities, reach and performance across Europe.
As part of the partnership, Eurosport Digital will become the new entity’s first client and gain access to select European sports rights from worldwide sports properties, including current and future rights acquired by BAMTech and jointly by Eurosport and BAMTech.
Commenting on the development, David Zaslav, president and CEO at Discovery Communications, said: “Discovery has been investing internationally in new business models and brands for decades, resulting in the most extensive global footprint in media.
“The formation of this world-class technology provider, BAMTech Europe, with our partners at BAMTech, accelerates Discovery’s long-term strategy to bring our premium content to more viewers across more screens than ever before.”
Bob Bowman, MLB president, Business & Media, added: “Discovery has been a global leader in media and will be a great partner in expanding BAMTech to Europe, with an eye to developing new models for delivering content in the best interests of customers. We can’t wait to get started.”
JB Perrette, president and CEO at Discovery Networks International, said: “Across Europe, Discovery has led the way in pay-TV and free-to-air services, and expanded into new content genres such as general entertainment and sports.
“This partnership with BAMTech is an important next step in our evolution to develop more consumer centric capabilities and services – focused initially on Eurosport.”
Discovery’s partnership with BAMTech follows the recent appointment of Ralph Rivera as MD of Eurosport Digital.
It also comes less than two weeks after Discovery announced its digital content partnership to form Group Nine Media, which became one of the largest digital content and social video companies in the world.
