Kuala Lumpur, September 6, 2018 – Eurosport has partnered with the International Judo Federation in a three-year agreement that underscores its commitment to year-round Olympic storytelling. Judo is set to feature in the Olympic Games for the 14th time in 2020, having debuted at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.
The partnership, which runs from 2018-2020, will see Eurosport screen highlights shows from major events on the judo calendar including the Grand Slams, Masters and World Championships. These will be available in 16 markets in the Asia-Pacific region and in 54 countries and territories across Europe. In addition, Eurosport will show live and delayed coverage in selected markets across Asia Pacific and Europe, and a total of 16 countries for the annual World Judo Championships. In Southeast Asia, highlights of the World Judo Championships will be shown in Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand.
With the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo just under two years away, Eurosport – the Home of the Olympics in Europe* – will be producing fresh and innovative content for TV and digital platforms to give fans the opportunity to get under the skin of judo.
Eurosport will produce new episodes of its brilliant Sports Explainer series as well as profile an array of stars from the sport in a brand new “24 hours with…” format. There will also be a monthly magazine show to be broadcast in the Asia-Pacific and European regions.
Emir Osmanbegovic, SVP Sports Content & Production at Eurosport, said: “We are thrilled to partner with the International Judo Federation for the next three years and welcome a new Olympic sport into our portfolio of rights. The agreement will give judo the platform it deserves to reach millions of fans across both Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
“At Eurosport, we have continued to stress that we perceive ourselves as more than just a sports broadcaster that shows live sport – we want to tell the stories behind the athletes and the intricacies behind sport through stunning innovations. Our partnership with the IJF will allow sports fans across the world the chance to learn about judo and follow the sport like never before in the lead up to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.”
International Judo Federation President Marius Vizer, said: “We are delighted to welcome Eurosport to the judo family as one of our key partners on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This is an exciting and important time for our sport and we are looking forward to bringing world-class judo to Eurosport and sharing the values of our sport with a new audience.”
As part of the new partnership with the International Judo Federation, Eurosport will consider plans to promote the sport via TV spots and digital advertising in 70 markets across the globe on its platforms as well as through regular news articles on Eurosport.com (also UK, France, German, Spanish and Italian versions).
