The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and Warner Bros. Discovery have signed an exclusive multiyear partnership to broadcast live and on-demand coverage of the new PTO Tour. The agreement includes exclusive live coverage of the races in 50 territories across Europe on its linear channels and will be streamed via Discovery+, the Eurosport App and GCN+.
The deal builds on the network’s successful broadcast of last year’s inaugural Collins Cup. PTO’s flagship $1.5 million race in Slovakia reached a live and on-demand TV audience in more than 175 territories.
“The global broadcast viewing figures for Collins Cup surpassed all expectations,” said Tim Godfrey, chief marketing officer at the PTO, which is co-owned by professional athletes seeking to grow the sport. “That success, combined with the great numbers and engagement we saw around the Herbalife24 PTO Pro-Am broadcast in May this year, helped shape our thinking on how to build this new partnership.”
Starting with the PTO Canadian Open in Edmonton on July 23-24 this year, PTO tour events will broadcast exclusively live and on-demand in Europe on Eurosport linear channels and streaming via Discovery+ and the Eurosport App, as well as non-exclusively in Asia and exclusively across the Indian subcontinent. The tour will also broadcast with Warner Bros. Discovery’s global channels and will be delivered locally with commentary in 20 languages.
“As home of the Olympics in Europe, we know triathletes have some of the most compelling stories in sport,” said Scott Young, senior vice president of content and production at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe. “We will bring these stories to current and new audiences alike, supported by Warner Bros. Discovery’s extensive sports and entertainment expertise and the PTO’s outstanding production and capabilities.”
The PTO Tour plans to expand with the PTO European Open and the PTO Asian Open, alongside their U.S. and Canadian equivalents and the Collins Cup in 2023 and 2024.
This story has been updated to correct the start date of the partnership.
