euro news_news 14/08/2015 09:23 Page 3
Discovery takes full
control of Eurosport
iscovery
Communications is
acquiring full
ownership of Eurosport for
€491 million from TF1
Group, which has
announced it will exercise a
put option on its 49%
ownership stake under the
companies’ 2012 agreement.
“Discovery Communications
is excited to expand and deepen
our investment in Eurosport as
we continue to strengthen our
newest global brand with locally
relevant sports rights that create
value for fans, advertisers and
distributors,” said David Zaslav,
president and CEO of Discovery
Communications (above right).
“In 2012, we began our
investment with a 20 per cent
stake in Eurosport and increased
that investment to 51 per cent
more than a year ago. Taking full
control of Eurosport is the
culmination of our commitment
to strengthening Eurosport as a
premier sports brand and fully
integrating this business within
Discovery’s unmatched global
portfolio. I would like to thank
TF1 for being great partners to us
on this journey for the past few
years.”
“We are delighted by the
excellent relationship between
Discovery and TF1 since we
began our partnership in 2012,”
said Nonce Paolini (right),
chairman and CEO of TF1. “After
an initial phase of creating value
via acquisitions of equity stakes,
which accelerated the
development of Eurosport and
the theme channels, we intend to
continue our collaboration in the
years ahead.”
Since May 2014, Discovery
and Eurosport have acquired
more than 7,500 hours of
coverage – with more than 3,300
of that live – per year across
more than 50 properties signed.
From UEFA Champions League,
Europa League, Major League
EBU calls for “clear
and strong” net
neutrality rules
Europe shared the view that
strong net neutrality rules
need to be one of the
foundations of the Internet
of tomorrow. “Without clear
and strong rules, access to
D
Public service media (PSM)
executives across Europe
have adopted a declaration
calling on EU governments
to 'make history' by
setting out the rules for
the future of the open
Internet.
The declaration states
that ‘net neutrality rules are
necessary to strengthen
freedom of expression in
the digital age, to foster
knowledge for citizens, to
leverage incentives for
Europe’s creative industries
and to boost innovation.’
EBU president Jean-Paul
Philippot (above, right) said
that PSM organisations in
10 EUROMEDIA
online-content risks
becoming confined to walled
gardens rather than widely
available in open spaces.
Soccer, expanding on Bundesliga
soccer, Spanish cycling, Winter
Ski Jumping, Wimbledon in
Belgium, and FIFA Women’s
World Cup across Europe, to
Moto GP in Germany, Belgium
and Netherlands.
In June, Discovery/Eurosport
won the TV and multiplatform
rights for the Olympic Games
from 2018 to 2024, reinforcing
Eurosport as the home of
Olympic sports all year long. The
agreement allows for more
European sports fans to access
the games on more platforms and
screens than ever before.
With almost half of
Eurosport’s existing
programming being Olympic
sports, Discovery and Eurosport
say they will now engage
passionate fans around these key
sports 365 days a year. Discovery
and Eurosport will have access to
the Olympic emblems and the
rich Olympic video library and
archive, which will further
solidify Eurosport’s position as
the pan-European home of
Olympic sports.
The agreement also includes a
provision for TF1 to buy back
Discovery’s 20% interest in TV
Breizh, Histoire, and Ushuaïa TV
for €15m. Both transactions are
expected to close at the beginning
of the fourth quarter.
These rules are very
important for PSM because
we want to give citizens
easy access to our onlinecontent without Internet
access providers acting as
gatekeepers. More broadly,
a solid net neutrality
framework will provide longterm guarantees for freedom
of expression and pluralism,
and favour innovation,” he
stated.
Adopted during the 74th
General Assembly of the
EBU, the net neutrality
declaration specifically
addresses the EU
Institutions, which are
currently engaged in
negotiations on the Single
Telecoms Market Regulation.
In 2014, the European
Parliament proposed several
improvements to the draft
regulation’s provisions on
net neutrality. However EU
Member State governments
have so far struggled to
follow suit, unable to reach
an agreement with the
European Parliament.
For the Telecoms Single
Market Regulation to be
adopted and enacted at EU
level, EU Member States (via
the Council of Ministers) and
the European Parliament
would need to agree on the
same provisions.
The EBU says that its
declaration underlines the
urgency of adopting clear
and strong net neutrality
rules and describes them as
“the first essential step
towards a true digital single
market”.
“We intend to
continue our
collaboration in
the years ahead."