Eurosport Expands Leadership Team

Eurosport has added to its senior leadership team with four new appointments aiming to further integrate Discovery Communications and Eurosport lines of business in France.

Arnaud Simon, previously managing director Eurosport France and director TV content has been promoted to lead content and production.

Laurent Prud’Homme has been promoted to SVP, rights acquisitions and syndication with a remit to ‘stimulate both local and multi-territory rights acquisition’.

Jonathan Davies is joining the group as managing director, advertiser partnerships for Eurosport and Discovery Pan-Europe. In the newly created position, Davies will lead both Eurosport pan-regional and Discovery International ad sales teams and reports to Peter Hutton, CEO of Eurosport, while working closely with Discovery’s Presidents across Europe.

Davies brings over 25 years’ experience within the media industry at the most senior level across both media owners and agencies. He joins Eurosport following 12 years at CNN.

Former development director for Eurosport, Julien Bergeaud, is promoted to SVP, country manager France and sports rights Southern Europe.

In the newly combined Eurosport and Discovery France business, Julien will lead the entire portfolio in France with channel management, commercial development and the communication teams reporting directly to him. In addition, Bergeaud will coordinate sports rights across Southern Europe to maximize business opportunities across the region and ensure local and global sports strategy is closely aligned.

Julien fills the position formerly held by Nicolas Bonard who will now focus exclusively on growing Discovery’s Studios Group business including global program sales and consumer products.

Bergeaud will report directly to Marinella Soldi, president & managing director, Discovery Networks Southern Europe.

Peter Hutton, chief executive officer of Eurosport, said: “Today’s announcement is a strengthening of Eurosport’s leadership team that will transform our business and drive world-class standards in sports programming, production, promotion and platforms.”