Discovery today announced an update to the senior management team of Eurosport, its premium sports brand, as it looks to capitalise on a record-breaking Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 for the company. The developments will see:
• Emir Osmanbegovic appointed Senior Vice President, Sports Content and Production.
• Dave Schafer assume the role of Senior Vice President, Sports Operations and Planning.
• Laurent Prud’homme, Senior Vice President, takes on an expanded role that will now include additional responsibility for IOC and media services, and interim oversight of Eurosport’s Events business, as well as continuing to oversee its Rights Acquisition and Syndication groups, including the Olympics.
Osmanbegovic, who has led the sports programming and production for Discovery’s sports brands in Sweden including the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Europa League, and its record breaking exclusive PyeongChang 2018 coverage, will now lead Eurosport’s international sports production. In his new role, he will also oversee Eurosport’s local sports production teams, including Olympic production.
Schafer, meanwhile, who has already directed the complex planning and operational delivery of the company’s inaugural Olympic Games will now lead all sports operations activities across the Olympics and Eurosport’s year-round calendar of premium live sports events. Both Osmanbegovic and Schafer will re-locate to Eurosport in Paris.
Jean-Briac Perrette, President and CEO of Discovery Networks International, said: "As the first record-breaking chapter of our Olympic journey is complete, it’s proven to be an opportune time to reconsider our leadership and organization with the goal of continuing to improve and grow the Eurosport business and brand. While the Olympics is a key part of Eurosport’s offering, one of our greatest strengths is that we showcase Olympic sports all-year round and these appointments will help usher in another great phase of growth for Eurosport.
"Emir and Dave, two world class sports leaders, will re-locate to Paris and bring a fresh perspective on how we maximize the value of our unique combination of talented central or Paris-based resources and local experts based in the markets. I am delighted to welcome them into their new roles. Laurent Prud’homme is also a fantastic and respected industry leader who knows the Eurosport brand inside out and will play an integral rights and commercial development role as we look to continue to develop Discovery’s premium sports brand."
Discovery also confirmed the upcoming departure of Chief Executive Officer Peter Hutton, while Senior Vice President Content and Production, Arnaud Simon, and Vice President Olympic Relations, Geraldine Filiol, will also depart the company to pursue other opportunities.
JB Perrette added: "I would like to thank Peter, Arnaud and Geraldine for their great partnership and commitment to help Eurosport transform into a more premium sports brand, culminating in Eurosport delivering its first Olympic Games to millions of fans across Europe."
Discovery and Eurosport have launched an external search to fill the vacant CEO role; in the interim the Eurosport leadership team will report directly to Perrette.
In February, Discovery announced that its digital-first approach to the Olympics saw the Games reach 76 million people across digital & social platforms – more than doubling the average number of users and reaching new and younger audiences - as the company engaged new and younger audiences across integrated Eurosport App and Eurosport.com. More broadly, 58% of the population watched on free-to-air and pay-TV in Discovery’s top markets across Europe*, on its own channels and those of its partner broadcasters.
-ENDS-
*Excludes France 2018-2020. Excludes Russia. Eurosport will be an Official Broadcaster in the UK 2018 and 2020.
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