TOKYO, JAPAN – AUGUST 08: Fireworks are displayed over the Olympic Stadium during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on August 8, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
Discovery says its strategy of “broad access” to the Olympics on free and pay-TV, while delivering all the action on Discovery+ has helped grow European audiences for the Olympic Games.
More than 3 times more people signed up to Discovery’s subscription services when compared to Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
More than 372 million people watched Tokyo 2020 in Europe, more than 10% more than PyeongChang 2018. Over 175 million of those viewed Discovery’s coverage on TV and digital, 13 times more vs. PyeongChang 2018.
Andrew Georgiou, President of Sports, Discovery, said: “Tokyo 2020 was a truly unique Olympics and it was a privilege for Discovery to bring the Games to people throughout Europe as well as in record numbers on digital platforms. Discovery’s unrivalled expertise in sports storytelling, both on and off the field of play, entertained and delighted audiences across all out platforms. Growing
Under Discovery’s £920 million deal to screen the Olympics in Europe, the broadcaster is gradually able to take more of the coverage in itself.
This includes the UK where the BBC was able to show one broadcast stream and a second on the iPlayer. This prompted criticism from viewers, unaware of what was available on Eurosport and Discovery+, and playing into newspapers’ anti-BBC narrative.
