Discovery says the number of new paid streaming subscribers for Beijing 2022 exceeded those for PyeongChang 2018 by almost 50%.
The broadcaster said that its linear TV audiences on both Eurosport and its own free-to-air channels were in line with the 2018 Winter Olympics.
More than 156 million Europeans visited Discovery’s platforms with over one billion streaming minutes consumed, 19 times more than the last Olympic Winter Games. discovery+ and Eurosport streaming services saw eight times more streaming viewers during this Games as users consumed more than double the content with average consumption exceeding 7 hours per viewer.
The same trend was seen on linear television with viewers on average watching 24% longer than PyeongChang 2018. The ad-supported Eurosport.com, and its local country editions, reached over double the amount of users compared to the same period.
There were high audience shares on Discovery’s free-to-air networks in the Nordic markets continued with highs of 88% (Norway), 83% (Sweden) and 82% (Finland). Eurosport channels saw significant audience and share growth in many key markets – including Poland (+36%), Romania (+23%), and Italy (+250%) – and Discovery’s channels across both free-to-air and pay-tv saw an overall increase in audience share.
Jean-Briac Perrette, President & CEO, Discovery Streaming & International, said: “The Winter Olympics has proven to be a terrific success for discovery+ and all our channels and platforms across Europe. Discovery is leading the way in building global scale in streaming whilst also maintaining strength in traditional television viewership, significantly outperforming the market across both.
“Well over half of all new Olympics subscribers also enjoyed discovery+’s entertainment content, reinforcing the increased depth and value of our offering. These subscribers remain engaged and retained for longer, which meaningfully improves subscriber lifetime value.”
Discovery presented Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 in 50 markets in Europe featuring 11 national productions and coverage in 19 languages.