Discovery Communications is pressing ahead with its ambition to redefine the Olympicsviewing experience after confirming that the Games will have an “official mobile broadcaster” for the first time.

The US media company has partnered with Italian telecoms giant Tim in a two-year deal which will include the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics and the Tokyo 2020 Games.

As part of the agreement the telecoms operator will give its customers free access to Eurosport Player where they will be able to watch every second of the Games live and enjoy exclusive VR and AR content, a 360 experience and over 30 additional feeds compared to TV broadcasts.

Tim users will also have exclusive access to a 24/7 operator-branded linear news and highlights channel and exclusive short form content offering an in-depth look at Italian athletes competing in the events.

Eurosport is now the exclusive European broadcaster of the Games until 2024 after its parent company, Discovery Communications, stuck a deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Since then Discovery has been showcasing its plans to redefine the Olympics viewing experience.

Mobile has emerged as a major part of this strategy and the deal with Tim represents a pioneering move in the future of Olympic broadcasting.  

Jean-Briac Perrette, chief executive of Discovery Networks International, said: “Our partnership with Italy’s biggest telco operator to create the first ever Olympic Mobile Broadcaster designation will enable us to deliver the ultimate Olympic Games viewing experience to millions of people. This world-first partnership is a big win for fans who want to consume exclusive content from the Games wherever and whenever they choose.” 

The deal marks the first step in Discovery’s efforts to create a new Olympic Games viewing experience for fans and illustrates its focus on mobile. Speaking at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in March Perrette discussed the company’s plans to get more content onto mobile to help increase its reach from one billion screens to 10 billion.

Part of this strategy has led Eurosport to strike several key partnerships with governing bodies to ensure it has coverage of Olympic events including tennis, cycling and winter sports and year-round. It has built on this with original entertainment programming such as its ‘Chasing History’ documentary series chronicling athletes’ journey to the Games.

In addition to the launch of a dedicated VR app, Eurosport agreed a content partnership with digital news platform NowThis to help increase reach and engage more with audiences on mobile.