Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group, with Discovery Communications Incorporated taking a 20% minority interest share in December 2012.[1]

The network of channels is available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events. Eurosport first launched on European satellites on 5 February 1989.

Sporting events

Eurosport provides viewers with European and international sporting events. This includes: UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League football, the Paris Dakar Rally, Monte Carlo Rally, the Olympics, cycling events such as the Tour de France, tennis events including the French Open and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, World Championship Snooker, ICC World Twenty20, ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, Australian Football League, Arm Wars, wintersports, and youth sports like skating and surfing. It has also previously covered events such as the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Motorsport

Eurosport Events is the Eurosport group's world-class sporting events management/promotion/production division, which promotes an impressive array of international sporting events such as the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), the FIA European Touring Car Cup and the FIA European Rally Championship. Eurosport broadcasts every WTCC race live and every ERC rally either live or with daily highlights.

Eurosport Events was also the promoter of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, a rival rallying series to the World Rally Championship. The IRC ceased at the end of the 2012 season, with Eurosport taking over series promotion of the ERC from 2013.

Eurosport Events Limited was formerly known as KSO Kigema Sports Organisation Limited, but changed its name in 2010

Since 2008, the Eurosport Group has also been broadcasting the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans.

History

urosport was launched on 5 February 1989 as a joint venture between the European Broadcasting Union and Sky Television plc.

Eurosport was closed down in May 1991 after the competing Screensport channel had filed a complaint to the European Commission over the corporate structure. The channel was however saved when the TF1 Group (formed after TF1 was privatised 5 years prior to this) stepped in to replace BSkyB as joint-owners. A new Eurosport channel was able to start its broadcasts the same month. On March 1, 1993, the cable and satellite channel Screensport merged with Eurosport. Eurosport eventually came under a French ownership consortium, comprising the TF1 Group, Canal+ Group and Havas Images. Since January 2001, the network has been owned entirely by TF1.

Eurosport is currently broadcast in twenty languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Russian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Greek, Turkish, Cantonese.

In May 2007, Yahoo! Europe and Eurosport formed a co-branded website[3] which Eurosport uses as its web portal, including an online TV guide, in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy and Germany.[4]

In 2008, Eurosport launched an online subscription service (called the Eurosport player) that allows Internet users to watch both Eurosport and Eurosport 2 live, plus additional coverage not available via broadcast. During the 2009 Australian Open, the Internet player offered coverage from five courts.

On 21 December 2012, Discovery Communications purchased a 20% stake in Eurosport from TF1 Group for €170m.[1] Discovery has the option to increase its stake to 51% in 2014. Should Discovery exercise its option, TF1 Group would have the ability to then exercise a put option over the remaining 49% that would see Discovery take full control.[5]

2011 rebrand

On 5 April 2011 Eurosport rebranded its channel. The rebrand incorporated six new on-air idents along with a new logo and presentation style both on-air and off-air.[6][7] The new on-air identity has been designed by Paris based design company Les Télécréateurs.[2] All localized Eurosport channels embrace the new identity. The Eurosport website also embraces the new identity.[7]

Analogue closedown

Eurosport, having been one of the first channels to broadcast on the Astra 1 group of satellites, was the last satellite channel in Europe to broadcast in an analogue format. On April 30, 2012, shortly after 03:00 CET, the rest of the remaining analogue channels at 19.2 East ceased transmission. Eurosport's analogue channel finally ceased transmission on May 1, 2012 at 01:30 CET, marking the end of an era in European satellite broadcasting.

Eurosport feeds

    In Europe, Eurosport is generally available on basic digital television service providers. Since 1999, Eurosport provides various opt-out services providing more relevant sporting content specific to language, advertising and commentary needs. Eurosport offers a stand alone channel which provides a standardized version of the channel (Eurosport International in English). Alongside this there are also local Eurosport channels in France, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Poland, Nordic region and Asia Pacific. These channels offer greater sporting content with local sporting events, while also utilizing the existing pan-European feed.

    In Asia-Pacific territories, Eurosport offers a specific channel to this region. Eurosport (Asia-Pacific) launched on 15 November 2009. The service is available in Australia through Foxtel, Austar, Optus and TransACT TV.

Additional channels

Eurosport HD

A high-definition simulcast version of Eurosport which launched on 25 May 2008. The first event covered in HD being the 2008 French Open at Roland Garros.

Eurosport 3D

In April 2010, Eurosport 3D launched but is only broadcast during a select number of events, such as the French Open and 2012 Summer Olympics

Eurosport 2

A supplementary channel featuring more live sports events, programming and news updates. Eurosport 2 launched on 10 January 2005 and is currently available in 35 countries, broadcasting in 14 different languages: English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Greek, Hungarian, Russian, Polish, Swedish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Serbian and Turkish.

Eurosport 2 is self-describing as "the new generation sports channel" - dedicated to team sports, alternative sports, discovery and entertainment including basketball, Twenty20 Cricket, National Lacrosse League, Arena Football League, surfing, Volleyball Champions League, Australian Rules Football matches from the Australian Football League, Bandy World Championships and more.

Eurosport 2 HD, a high-definition version of the channel is also available.

Eurosport News

A sports news channel launched on 1 September 2000, featuring live scores, highlights, breaking news and commentary. The service combines video, text and graphics with the screen being divided into 4 sections - a video section that displays highlights and news bulletins, a breaking news ticker at the bottom and a scoring section that gives in-depth analysis of results and game stats.

British Eurosport

In the UK, British Eurosport launched in 1999, replacing Eurosport International on most platforms with some schedule variations and local commentary. The launch of British Eurosport and creation of programming specifically for the UK was initially funded by Premium TV, which did not have a stake in the sports channel, but received a share of the revenue.[10] British Eurosport had live studio presentations of major sporting events and tournaments.

On British Eurosport James Richardson previously hosted the coverage of Serie A football on the Channel from 2002 to 2005 and 2004 UEFA European Football Championship with regular guests including Alan Curbishley, DJ Spoony, former Chelsea FC players Paul Elliott, Ed de Goey, Ray Wilkins, Roberto Di Matteo & former Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini now at LA Galaxy, former England International Luther Blissett and European football journalists Gabriele Marcotti and Xavier Rivoire.

Will Vanders is known for his spirited coverage of K-1 events, and greets the viewer in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Thai to introduce the martial arts show, Fight Club, on Monday nights.

Studio presentation for the Australian Open, French Open, U.S. Open and WTA Tour Championships on British Eurosport is hosted by Annabel Croft with the segment Hawk-Eye presented by former British Number 2 Jason Goodall. (Goodall was briefly ranked ahead of Chris Bailey, Nick Brown, Andrew Castle, Nick Fulwood, Mark Petchey, and James Turner, in May 1989).

British Eurosport covers the snooker season including ranking events not broadcast by BBC Television including the Shanghai Masters and China Open. Mike Hallett and Former world champion Joe Johnson are among the commentators.

British Eurosport has also three figure skating commentators: former Winter Olympic Games competitors Chris Howarth & Nicky Slater, and veteran commentator Simon Reed - brother of the late actor Oliver Reed. Tour de France coverage is commentated on by David Harmon with veteran cyclist Sean Kelly as the technical expert.

On the 10 February 2009, British Eurosport started to broadcast most of its programming in the 16:9 'widescreen' ratio. After the collapse of Setanta Sports, rights for the 2009 season in the USPGA Golf tour reverted to British Eurosport.[11]

On 25 July 2012, British Eurosport HD launched on the Sky, UPC Ireland and Virgin Media platforms, this replaced the pan-European Eurosport HD in the UK and Ireland.[12] British Eurosport 2 HD launched on 3 September 2012 on the Sky platform. Virgin Media has also carried Eurosport 3D to broadcast the 2011 and 2012 French Open and 2012 Summer Olympics.[13][14] UPC Ireland also broadcast Eurosport 3D for the 2011 French Open. Throughout the duration of the 2012 Summer Olympics, Eurosport 3D also broadcast on the Sky 3D channel.[15]

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