Sport-hungry Brits desperate for a dose of Olympic fever won’t have to worry about missing a moment of Tokyo 2020.
And the decision about where to watch Adam Peaty, Laura Kenny and Dina Asher-Smith gun for gold in Japan is a total no-brainer.
That’s the message from Discovery and Eurosport’s Jamie Steward, the broadcasting mastermind behind the most cutting-edge, comprehensive and digitally-diverse coverage of the Games available this summer.
The Olympics’ one-year postponement has kept sports fans on tenterhooks but with one week to go until the Opening Ceremony, Steward and his team are gearing up for a 17-day broadcast bonanza.
Bradley Wiggins, Greg Rutherford and Radzi Chinyanganya are among those spearheading Discovery and Eurosport’s coverage and Steward, a stalwart at the channel for almost two decades, couldn’t be clearer about what makes his team’s offering unique.
London-based Steward, Senior Director, Production & Broadcast at Discovery and Eurosport, said: “In terms of the coverage, it’s the most comprehensive we've ever experienced in the UK.
“It’s the first opportunity for a summer Games where we’ve been able to localise the coverage – we’ll be tracking the Team GB medallists across the course of the 17 days and have plenty in store.
“With it being a Games in a different time zone, we’ll bring all our viewers up to speed with the action they’ve missed through the night – the likes of Adam Peaty going for gold.
“The comprehensiveness of the coverage [makes us unique] – you’ll be able to see every single medal.
“It’s a two-pronged attack – on a talent side of things, we’ll also have Bradley Wiggins, Greg Rutherford, Orla Chennaoui and Radzi Chinyanganya out in Tokyo providing all the interviews and reports.
“They’re going to be the ones giving us a flavour of how such a unique Olympic Games unfolds.
“We’ve got the different talent that will tell the best stories, alongside the most extensive and comprehensive coverage.”
Five-time Olympic champion Wiggins will head up Discovery and Eurosport’s cycling team while Chennaoui, a former all-Ireland triple jump champion, will be across cycling, gymnastics and climbing in Japan.
Experienced Chinyanganya will immerse himself in rowing throughout the first week while Rutherford, who captured British hearts by winning long jump gold on Super Saturday at London 2012, will be front and centre of the extensive operation throughout the 17 days.
Two main channels – focusing on high-profile sports as well as skateboarding and karate to attract a younger audience – will be bolstered by seven pop-up equivalents and the discovery+ platform to rack up a whopping 3,500 total hours of coverage, with Discovery and Eurosport’s innovative use of technology also setting it apart.
The new, extended reality studio known as The Cube will connect fans with the action like never before and employ new software and motion graphics to catapult the coverage to a whole new level.
Hosted by Reshmin Chowdhury, the analytical innovation will see Team GB medal winners ‘teleported’ into the studio and enable sport-loving viewers to take a deeper, more emotional dive into the reasons behind their triumph.
Rutherford this week launched the revamped Cube by analysing his London 2012 triumph and Steward, who has overseen its previous success as part of Discovery and Eurosport’s Grand Slam Tennis coverage, said: “From a technology standpoint, we want to make another step on with the coverage.
“The Cube offers a multitude of options in terms of the visual aspects of it – aesthetically, it really offers something different and from an analytical point of view, we’ve got the different tools to play with.
“With the restrictions at play, the teleportation element is that extra bit of technology that means we can still connect with the athletes.
“We’ll look to bring in family and friends so we can try and create those special moments where you’ll normally be together.
“We’ll still connect those moments for the benefit for the athletes and the audience at home.”
The Games are now just a single week away and Steward, who also pioneered Discovery and Eurosport’s Winter Olympic coverage in PyeongChang in 2018, hopes the booming success of Tokyo can lay the foundations for the next Olympic cycle.
He added: “We’re massively excited.
“It’s been a long time coming and is three or four years in the making – it’s not only Tokyo, but six months further down the track we’ve got Beijing 2022.
“We’re already in the planning stages for that – it’s going to be a huge few months for Discovery and Eurosport – and we kick things off next week.”
Stream every unmissable moment of Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 live on discovery+, The Streaming Home of the Olympics.
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