Eurosport taps former AMC exec to lead DTC unit ahead of Olympics
Discovery has named Paul Rehrig general manager of Eurosport Digital.
Paul Rehrig has been given a year to grow Eurosport's streaming business as it readies for the 2020 Olympics
Rehrig will oversee the European sportscaster's digital direct-to-consumer (DTC) unit, including Eurosport App, Eurosport Player and Eurosport.com, which sees over 30 million monthly users.
Rehrig last served as AMC Network's executive vice-president of digital and business development, where he was tasked with growing the company's global digital partnerships and building its DTC subscriptions business.
He will have a similar role at Eurosport where he will build out the company's DTC business – just 12 months before the 2020 Olympics.
In 2015, Eurosport secured all TV and multi-platform rights for the Olympics from 2018-2024 in all of Europe, excluding Russia, for £922m.
“I have been hugely impressed by how Eurosport has become a digital pioneer and leader in sports under Discovery’s leadership, said Rehrig. "Serving sports fans with programming and content across Europe is a significant responsibility and I’m thrilled to lead such a world-class team.
"There is a massive opportunity to enhance and expand Eurosport’s digital product experiences and innovate in myriad ways that more deeply engage fans and build audiences and subscribers across the region.”
Rehrig will report to Peter Faricy, Discover's chief executive officer of global DTC.
“We are thrilled to welcome such a distinguished leader with a proven record of launching and running successful direct-to-consumer businesses and products globally,"said Faricy.
"Paul is the perfect fit to lead our outstanding Eurosport Digital team as we focus on building products that sports fans love. As we look to the exciting opportunities ahead, Paul will ensure Eurosport delivers the immersive multi-screen products and experiences that are essential for powering people’s passions and engaging targeted global communities around sport.”
Rehrig will relocate from New York to be based in London and work closely with Andrew Georgiou, who joins Discovery in the fall as president of Eurosport – which recently celebrated its 30th birthday.