PTO Strikes Landmark Broadcast Deal
The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO), professional body co-owned by the triathletes seeking to grow the triathlon as a sport, and American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate Warner Bros. Discovery have announced an exclusive multi-year partnership.
The deal will see Warner Bros. Discovery broadcast live and on-demand coverage of the new PTO Tour, a series of global events featuring the world’s best triathletes.
The agreement will see exclusive live coverage in 50 territories across Europe on its linear channels and be streamed via discovery+, the Eurosport App and GCN+.
The landmark deal builds on Warner Bros. Discovery’s far-reaching broadcast of the inaugural Collins Cup last year, the PTO’s $1.5m (£2.9m) flagship race that pits Europe versus Internationals versus USA.
Tim Godfrey, Chief Marketing Officer at the PTO, said, “The global broadcast viewing figures for the Collins Cup in 2021 surpassed all expectations and demonstrated that there is an appetite for compelling live broadcasts of Triathlon events that appeal not only to the fans of endurance sports, but also to the general sports enthusiast.”
“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, which includes more standout events and an exciting combination of live, shoulder programming and editorial content across Warner Bros. Discovery’s impressive broadcast, digital and social platforms. This partnership around the PTO Tour is primed to take the sport and its superhuman athletes to the next level.”
The PTO Tour events will be 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.
Warner Bros. Discovery will also support the PTO with the broadcast of shoulder programming, including linear countdown shows and athlete short-form features. On-demand race highlights featuring the best moments from each event will also be available.
Trojan Paillot, Vice President, Sports Rights Acquisitions and Syndication, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said, “The new PTO Tour is a fantastic proposition, as we saw first-hand from the Collins Cup last year. We are hugely excited to provide the scale and expertise of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, using the reach of our broadcast network and engagement at scale of our digital platforms to support the growth of the PTO Tour.”
“We have a unique ability to reach audiences wherever they are choosing to consume support – whether on TV, streaming or online. Alongside the breadth of coverage, content and programming we will present, this ensures we will engage existing and new fans of triathlon across Europe and beyond.”
Alistair Brownlee, PTO Athlete Board Member, added, “Last year’s Collins Cup was a pivotal moment for the athletes as well as the sport, with the highest prize in the sport’s history and a ground-breaking made-for-TV format.”
“In 2022, we are all excited to see how we can partner with Warner Bros. Discovery to take this further and ensure the PTO Tour events set a gold standard for broadcasting within our sport.”
In 2023 and 2024, the PTO Tour plans to expand with the PTO European Open and the PTO Asian Open, alongside their US and Canadian equivalents and The Collins Cup.
Following the news we caught up with TV anchor Alex Payne, the host of the new PTO Tour, to find out more about the PTO, triathlon as a sport, and the broadcasting world.
