Discovery hires Europe Olympics chief

Bernard Ross

Discovery Communications has recruited Bernard Ross to join Eurosport and run its Olympics coverage across Europe.

Ross joins from European football’s governing body, UEFA, where he oversaw delivery of the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament.

As COO and general manager, Olympic Games, at Eurosport, he will head up production, logistics and organisational aspects of the planning for the Games.

Ross will have a particular focus on Germany, Norway and Sweden.

At UEFA, Ross pioneered new coverage techniques including 4K and virtual reality 360° filming.

Prior to his time there, he was a producer at sports rights owner and producer IMG Media.

J.B. Perrette, president and CEO of Discovery’s gloabl arm, Discovery Networks International, said: “On day one, Bernie will take our team to a new level of excellence. His world class experience in sports production and relentless pursuit of innovation will help us deliver the ultimate Olympic Games experience”.

Discovery scooped the TV and multiplatform broadcasting rights last year in a €1.3 billion deal (US$1.4 billion). It has proceeded to sub-licence the rights to broadcasters in some territories, with Eurosport the main Olympics channel in others.

New recruit Ross will report to Eurosport boss Peter Hutton, who said: “Eurosport will bring to life the stories that matter most for viewers, whether it is in markets such as Germany, where Eurosport is the exclusive home of the Olympic Games, or in other European countries where we will work alongside national broadcasters.

“For our production team the scale of the challenge and the size of the opportunity is huge as we continue to transform our brand.”

Ross said: “With Discovery’s commitment in the Olympic Games, along with other premium sports rights, this is clearly a transformative period for the business, thrilling fans across Europe and bringing the ultimate sporting spectacle to life through a redefined viewer experience.”