Discovery Communications CEO David Zaslav is playing up his European sports rivalry with Disney’s ESPN.
Zaslav hinted that Discovery, through its controlling stake in Eurosport, would explore a new regional sports network and partner with European companies on rights and sharing coverage.
Discovery has between two and four cable services across Europe where it could accommodate sports coverage.
Zaslav promised that Eurosport deal struck earlier this year, which valued the pan-European media company at $1.2 billion, will look like a smart move in just three years.
“I don’t think the market appreciates this (RSN) strategy for Europe,” he said at the Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia conference on Wednesday.
Speaking of rivalries, Zaslav described the US cable market as flat to down, with stealing market share as the only real way to grow revenue.
Meanwhile, Discovery has yet to renew major streaming partnerships with Amazon and Netflix, suggesting the two aren’t putting enough dollars on the table.