International media and entertainment company Discovery Communications has signed a long-term extension to its carriage deal with media firm Liberty Global.
The agreement will cover the distribution of various major Discovery channels, including international sports broadcaster Eurosport, in 12 European countries.
Liberty will carry Discovery’s channels in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland and the UK.
The deal also includes digital rights for access to channels via multiple screens in and out-of-home through Liberty-owned broadband companies such as Telenet, Unitymedia, UPC, Virgin Media and Ziggo.
Bruce Mann, managing director of programming for Liberty Global, said: “The combination of our ever more innovative TV platforms with Discovery’s significant investment in content – including the Olympic Games – provide a framework for further creative opportunities that will drive even more value from the deal.”
The new contract will incorporate the start of Discovery’s Olympic Games rights contract. In June 2015, Discovery Communications and Eurosport acquired television and multi-platform rights in a host of European markets for four editions of the Olympic Games, from 2018 to 2024.
Discovery acquired the exclusive rights across all platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription/pay-television, internet and mobile phone in all languages across 50 countries and territories on the European continent.
Territories included in the deal are: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK and Vatican City State.
The deal applies to the 2022 and 2024 Games only in France and the UK.