The Discovery Networks Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) division of US media and entertainment company Discovery Communications is to merge its distribution team with that of pan-regional sports broadcaster Eurosport.
According to various reports, the combined team will distribute a portfolio of 22 channels across the CEEMEA region. The portfolio includes the Eurosport pay-television sports channel.
Oxana Yanushkovskaya, vice-president of distribution for Discovery Networks CEEMEA, will head up the new team.
Benjamin Deshayes will continue to coordinate the team in charge of distribution of the Eurosport channel. He has also been appointed to serve as Discovery’s deputy distribution strategy director CEEMEA and will report to Yanushkovskaya.
Earlier this year, Discovery completed a deal to acquire a controlling stake in Eurosport. Discovery increased its stake in the broadcaster from 20 per cent to 51 per cent as part of the deal, which was struck with Eurosport's parent company, French commercial broadcaster TF1 Group.