Warner Bros. Discovery licenses IBU Biathlon rights from EBU

Warner Bros. Discovery claims to have “cemented its status as the home of winter sports” by agreeing a new multi-year deal with the European Broadcasting Union to screen all International Biathlon Union (IBU) events, starting this season. The EBU controls the rights to IBU live events via a deal that runs from 2022-2026.

The new deal encompasses 44 countries and territories across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China) and means viewers watching on Warner Bros. Discovery platforms – Discovery+, Eurosport and Eurosport App – will be able to watch every men’s and women’s IBU World Cup event. The deal also covers the next edition of the annual Biathlon World Championship in Germany (Feb 10-19 2023).

With this announcement, WBD says fans will be able to enjoy 1100 hours of live winter sports action from over 190 events during the 2022-23 season, complemented by coverage across Warner Bros. Discovery’s digital platforms – including Eurosport.com.

Warner Bros. Discovery VP, sports rights acquisitions and syndication, Trojan Paillot said: “We possess a proven track record of engaging wide audiences around the best winter sports events, such as reaching a record number of viewers for an Olympic Winter Games. We are pleased to agree a new long-term partnership with the EBU to ensure the world’s best biathlon events remain on our channels and platforms for the widest possible audience to enjoy for years to come.”

Pascal Fratellia, commercial director of Eurovision Sport, added: “We are delighted to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery to bring the excitement of the biathlon to an even greater audience across Europe and beyond, complementing the coverage of the EBU members. Biathlon has been one of the great winter sports success stories of the last few years, and we are proud to have played our part in that success.”