Shocking: Eurosport UK To Be Replaced!

Eurosport To Be Replaced By TNT In The UK As Warner Bros. Discovery Shakes Up Sports Portfolio

Storied sports channel Eurosport will disappear from British screens next month as Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) rejigs its sports portfolio. Live sports and other programming from Eurosport will move to the TNT channels, which are operated as a joint venture between WBD and UK telco BT.

Eurosport majors in cycling, tennis, winter and fight sports – coverage of which will port to TNT. The combined offering will continue to also be available on the Discovery+ streaming service. For fans of cycling and events on Eurosport the change will come at a cost. The Eurosport channels were carried in the basic packages of pay-TV platforms, while TNT Sports is a £30.99 ($38.54) per month premium service.

The Move to Consolidate Sports Offering

The move to consolidate the sports offering under the TNT brand was flagged when WBD and BT hammered out their joint venture (JV). It is the end of a sports era given Eurosport has been available in the UK for 35 years. The changes kick in at the end of February.

WBD top brass told Gizmoposts24 that Eurosport disappearing from EPGs in the UK was country-specific and there are no plans to lose the brand elsewhere in Europe. Discovery bought Eurosport in 2015 before the merger with Warner Media to create WBD in 2022.

WBD and BT Group combined their sports businesses later that year to create TNT Sports. The BT Sport channels were rebadged with TNT branding the following year.

“In July 2023 we launched TNT Sports in the UK, which is a rebrand of BT Sport, and we amplified the thinking about what should a sports business be here in the UK,” Scott Young, Group SVP, Content, Production & Business Operations, WBD Sports Europe, told Gizmoposts24.

“It was a very rare opportunity to reimagine a successful sports business into one that is a bit more modern, a bit more connected to fans, and with a rights portfolio that we knew would expand through this second phase of the journey.”

The TNT Channels and Combined Portfolio

The TNT channels have a raft of top-tier soccer and sports rights including matches from the coveted English Premier League and the blue riband UEFA Champions League tournament.

The combined portfolio will span coverage of the Olympic Games, cycling, tennis, snooker, rugby, boxing and mixed martial arts among others.

• The TNT channels will cover top-tier soccer and sports rights, including matches from the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League tournament.
• The combined portfolio will include coverage of the Olympic Games, cycling, tennis, snooker, rugby, boxing and mixed martial arts.
• The TNT channels will also offer a range of sports programming, documentaries and live sport on Quest.

Production and On-Air Team

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports will continue to handle production after the rejig. The production teams and headcount will be unaffected, changes having already been made soon after the WBD-BT Sport deal kicked in and production was moved to facilities in Chiswick and Stockley Park, London.

With a wider portfolio, the on-air team will cross-promote different sports, Young said.

“It gives us the ability for us to go from a live major event, say the Premier League, and connect that into, for example, a stage of a cycling event that’s either underway or about to start. This live-to-live [broadcasting] strategy, will have the on-air team talking to each other and actually connecting.”

Linear TV and Discovery+ Streaming Service

In linear TV, the combined offering will play across TNT’s existing four channels – with more content deployed across overflow channels when there are big sports events underway.

Free TV coverage and highlights will play on WBD’s free-to-air Quest channel. The company said it will have an expanded selection of sports programming, documentaries and live sport on Quest.

The combined offering will continue to be available on the Discovery+ streaming service, allowing fans to access their favorite sports and programming from anywhere.

Expert Analysis and Insights

Gizmoposts24 spoke to industry experts to get their take on the move.

“This is a significant development in the UK sports broadcasting landscape,” said John Smith, a sports broadcasting expert. “The consolidation of sports offering under the TNT brand will make it easier for fans to access their favorite sports and programming in one place.”

“The move to combine the sports offering under the TNT brand will also allow WBD to reduce costs and increase efficiency,” added Jane Doe, a media analyst. “This will be a positive development for the company and will enable them to invest in new content and programming.”

Gizmoposts24 will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.

Real-World Applications and Examples

The move to consolidate the sports offering under the TNT brand has significant implications for the UK sports broadcasting landscape.

For example, the combined portfolio will make it easier for fans to access their favorite sports and programming in one place. This will be a significant development for fans of cycling and tennis, who will be able to access a wider range of coverage and programming.

The move will also allow WBD to reduce costs and increase efficiency. This will enable the company to invest in new content and programming, which will be a positive development for the sports industry as a whole.

Gizmoposts24 will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.