Discovery Inc.

06/17/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/17/2021 06:45

DISCOVERY ADDS FURTHER FIREPOWER TO MOTORSPORT PORTFOLIO WITH EXTENDED COVERAGE OF LE MANS AND THE FIA WEC

  • 24 Hours of Le Mans and The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) races to be screened in more than 100 markets and territories via Discovery's leading motorsport brands Eurosport, MotorTrend App, MotorTrend TV and discovery+
  • Five-year agreement with Infront includes exclusive 24 Hours of Le Mans coverage in more than 50 markets in Europe and North America
  • Record nine-time Le Mans champion Tom Kristensen to continue in expert role with renewed Eurosport partnership

Discovery has further expanded its coverage of the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans for the largest global audience as part of a renewed agreement with the FIA World Endurance Championship and its exclusive media rights partner, Infront.

Through Discovery's portfolio of motorsport brands and channels, the partnership comprises coverage from every round of the FIA WEC including qualifying, available live and on-demand for viewers in more than 100 markets across Europe, North America and Asia.

Eurosport, Discovery's leading multi-sport brand, will provide exclusive coverage of 24 Hours of Le Mans - motorsport's oldest race - across its channels and digital platforms in more than 50 markets across Europe*. Discovery's MotorTrend App and MotorTrend TV will show exclusive coverage for US viewers with the action available on Velocity television and streaming on the MotorTrend App in Canada. Discovery's recently launched global streaming service discovery+ will also screen the race via Eurosport and MotorTrend TV in available markets.

Trojan Paillot, VP Rights Acquisitions and Syndication, Eurosport said: '24 Hours of Le Mans is steeped in history as one of the world's most prestigious sporting events and is a race that forms a key part of our live motorsport offering for fans.

'Combining our deep sports expertise and storytelling ability with Discovery's global scale, we're pleased our renewed agreement with Infront will see us continue to screen the best motorsport events to millions, further expanding the reach of Le Mans and the WEC to the widest possible audience.'

Frédéric Lequien, FIA WEC CEO, added: 'It is fantastic that the WEC will be shown in more than 100 markets and territories as part of this new broadcast deal with Discovery. As we are set to welcome a host of global manufacturers over the next couple of years in our new Hypercar category, it's important to have increased visibility and we are confident we can achieve this thanks to Discovery's diverse portfolio of motorosport brands and channels.'

Discovery will also harness the world's best motorsport talent to front its coverage of 24 Hours of Le Mans with record nine-time champion Tom Kristensen continuing in his role as expert for Eurosport for the 2021 season, bringing viewers closer to the action.

Discovery's comprehensive motorsport portfolio provides world-class coverage of the biggest championships and races globally, offering something for everyone. As well as Discovery's stake in Formula E, Eurosport Events' deep motorsport expertise includes organisation and promotion of series on two and four wheels including the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC), FIA World Tour Car Championship (WTCR), the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) and PURE ETCR (FIA eTouring Car World Cup from 2022). MotorTrend is the world's largest automotive media company serving passionate fans with original automotive shows, live motorsport and car enthusiast programming.

The next round of the FIA WEC will be staged at Monza in Italy (16-18 July), with the 89th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans to take place the following month (21-22 August).

Notes to editor

Full rights and exclusivity:

24 Hours of Le Mans:
Territories A, B and C: All Rights are granted on an exclusive basis, subject to Special Conditions (below).
Territories D: All Rights are granted on a non-exclusive basis.
FIA World Endurance Championship:
Territories A, B and D: All Rights are granted on a non-exclusive basis
Territories C: All Rights are granted on an exclusive basis with the exception of French language in Canada.
Territories:

Territories A:
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Slovakia, Spain, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vatican State.

Territories B:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland.

Territories C:
North American territories: USA and Canada rights will be added as part of a new agreement from 2022. Discovery will provide coverage in 2021 as part of its existing deal.

Territories D:
Asia-Pacific territories: Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Cook Islands, East Timor, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kiribati Islands, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nepal, Niue, North Korea, North Mariana Islands, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis & Futuna Islands.

Special conditions:

*Non-exclusive coverage of 24h of Le Mans in some Territories B.
**Exclusive digital coverage of 24h of Le Mans in North America

About Discovery:
Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is a global leader in real life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. Discovery delivers over 8,000 hours of original programming each year and has category leadership across deeply loved content genres around the world. Available in 220 countries and territories and nearly 50 languages, Discovery is a platform innovator, reaching viewers on all screens, including TV Everywhere products such as the GO portfolio of apps; direct-to-consumer streaming services such as discovery+, Food Network Kitchen and MotorTrend OnDemand; digital-first and social content from Group Nine Media; a landmark natural history and factual content partnership with the BBC; and a strategic alliance with PGA TOUR to create the international home of golf. Discovery's portfolio of premium brands includes Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and the forthcoming multi-platform JV with Chip and Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Network, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe. For more information, please visit corporate.discovery.com and follow @DiscoveryIncTV across social platforms.

About Eurosport:
Eurosport is the number one sport destination in Europe, unlocking the power of sport through localised content from the world's greatest sporting events. As the Home of the Olympic Games in Europe, Discovery is bringing Eurosport to discovery+, the real-life direct-to-consumer streaming service, starting in a range of international markets during 2021. Firmly established as the Home of Cycling, Grand Slam Tennis and Winter Sport, Eurosport channels - Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2 - reach 246 million cumulative subscribers across 75 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Eurosport.com is Europe's No 1 online sports news website with an average of 30 million unique users per month. Eurosport Events specializes in the management and promotion of international sporting events. More information is available by visiting corporate.eurosport.com.

About MotorTrend Group:
MotorTrend Group is the largest automotive media company in the world, bringing together Discovery's MotorTrend TV and a vast automotive digital, direct-to-consumer, social, and live event portfolio, including MOTORTREND, HOT ROD, ROADKILL, AUTOMOBILE, and more than 20 other industry-leading brands. With a monthly audience of 26 million across web, TV, and print, and 110 million social followers, culminating in 1.3 billion monthly impressions across all platforms, the company encompasses television's #1 network for automotive superfans, a leading automotive YouTube Channel, and the MotorTrend App, the only auto-dedicated subscription video-on-demand service. MotorTrend serves to embrace, entertain, and empower the motoring world.

About Infront:
Connecting fans and consumers to the greatest sports events, Infront, a Wanda Sports Group company, offers everything an event or commercial partner needs to be successful. With a team of around 1,000 experts working from 43 offices across 16 countries around the world, Infront is equipped to tackle any challenge - be it innovative digital solutions, world-class event operations, international media rights distribution, sponsorship sales and activations or cutting-edge media production. Headquartered in Switzerland, Infront is passionate and #AllAboutSports. @infrontsports www.infront.sport.

About the FIA World Endurance Championship:
The WEC is the premier international sportscar championship in the world, offering motor manufacturers a real-world relevance to advances in road car design and crossover technology, performance and safety. Strong, stable regulations allow for complex yet beautiful sports prototypes featuring the latest in hybrid technology, independent chassis and engines suppliers competing at the highest levels, and the world's leading luxury car marques going head-to-head in the GT categories. Over 30 cars are on track at the same time, leading to action, excitement, endless passing and entertainment for fans worldwide. The WEC offers teams, drivers, partners and stakeholders a unique stage on which to compete, at premier race circuits around the world. Ranked alongside the Olympics, the Super Bowl and the soccer World Cup, the cornerstone of the WEC remains one of the world's greatest sporting events, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Contested over six rounds across Europe, Asia and the Middle East - there are races of varying distances, from the shortest at 6 hours to the longest at 24 hours.