Discovery will not shy away from human rights issues in China, a company executive said on Monday as it revealed plans for television and digital coverage for the Winter Olympics in Beijing in September. next.
Andrew Georgiou, the sports president, called it a “critical issue”, adding: “It’s not a topic we’re going to shy away from, we’re going to tackle it”, as Discovery “really” focus on social justice issues, “although the focus” will certainly be on sports and great sporting performances.
He, Scott Young, senior vp, content and production, and senior vp, technology and operations Simon Farnsworth discussed the company’s technology and content ambitions for the Olympics, which will develop waves in European markets, in a virtual media event also Discovery UK Olympic host Reshmin Chowdhury and others.
Georgiou emphasized that about 175 million Europeans watched the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, which were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, last summer, noting that bringing another Olympics to viewers only a few months later is “unique” and “a challenge”.
In November, Discovery noted that it had “successfully broadcast the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, reaching more than 372 million people in Europe across TV and digital platforms, and providing 1.3 billion minutes of Olympic content on our streaming services.”
Georgiou said Tokyo Games has leveraged not only the company’s linear networks, but also streaming service Discovery+, with his team hoping to “continue to improve those numbers” with Beijing. Young emphasized that his team’s goal is to “unlock” the stories of different athletes throughout the Olympics and to use technology, led by the company’s High Tech Block, to bring reality to life. enhanced and similar to provide interactive details, to the “most immersive” experience.
Discovery advertises that it plans to bring a “cinematic” feel to its coverage, saying in a statement on Monday: “As viewers are brought closer, the experience is revealed to be an area The winter resort is as vast as the cinema, offering limitless presentation and analysis locations across multiple levels of the resort. “
Looking ahead at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, Young says it’s hoped that by then, “touching wood, COVID will be an environment, no longer our manufacturing decisions.”
The Beijing Winter Olympics will run from February 4 to 20. Organizers said last week only “selected” spectators would be allowed to attend the Games, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Beijing had previously said that no fans from abroad were allowed to attend the event and had not made tickets available to the public.
Discovery, led by CEO David Zaslav, said it plans to close its massive merger with AT&T’s WarnerMedia by the middle of the year.
