Eurosport to Offer Olympic Coverage in Virtual Reality

Discovery Communications’ Eurosport unit is offering coverage in Europe of the Winter Olympic Games in virtual reality for the first time.

The Winter Olympics Eurosport VR app will provide more than 50 hours of live coverage, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Sports available live in VR include alpine skiing, Curling, figure skating, ice hockey, short track, ski jumping, skeleton and snowboarding.

On demand replays and highlights will also be available in virtual reality.

Related: NBC Olympics Sets Live VR Coverage

“Discovery has set out to transform the Olympic Winter Games viewing experience, so being able to offer viewers across Europe every minute of the Games and now every angle of some of the biggest events in live VR goes a long way to delivering this promise,” said Ralph Rivera, managing director of Eurosport Digital. “We want to do this to engage more people, on more screens, with the Games than ever before, offering something new to attract younger audiences.  In this way, we hope to make fans care even more about the sports they are passionate about.”

Eurosport’s coverage of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 starts on Feb. 8th live and on-demand on all screens.

The Eurosport VR app is available on iOS and Android phones starting Wednesday for 0.99 Euros, or $1.23.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.