Digital sports media company Play Sports Group (PSG) has further expanded its Global Cycling Network service with the launch of a second Italian-language channel, GCN Italia Racing.
GCN Italia Racing becomes Discovery-owned Play Sports Group’s 13th channel and will offer viewers racing news and insight. It will operate alongside the existing GCN Italia channel, which has reached 119,000 subscribers and released over 467 videos since launching in January 2019.
The new channel will air a weekly show on Mondays that will review the weekend’s races and preview the upcoming action. GCN Italia Racing will also showcase professionals’ bikes, offer “deep-dive” race previews and post question-and-answer sessions with riders.
In July, Play Sports Group launched a French-language channel for Global Cycling Network. GCN en Français will offer localised, tailored road cycling content for the French-speaking market, collaborating with the group’s other channels and Eurosport, the Discovery-owned international sports broadcaster.
GCN launched in 2013 as an English-language service and added Spanish- and Italian-language channels in 2018, a Japanese version in 2019 and a German version at the start of the year.
Last year, Discovery acquired a majority stake in Play Sports Group, raising its share from 20 per cent to a 71-per-cent controlling stake.