Discovery is reportedly considering a takeover bid for UK broadcaster Channel 4.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Discovery is holding talks over a potential bid should the UK government go ahead with the channel’s planned privatisation.
If Discovery were successful, it would no longer need to agree a deal with the BBC over access to the Olympics.
Discovery paid £1.1 billion for the European rights to the Olympics until Paris 2024, however the Games are in Category A of Ofcom’s code on sports, which means they must have live coverage made available to free-to-air channels. The BBC agreed a deal with Discovery to be able to show some of the Games.
Should Discovery be successful with a possible bid for Channel 4, it would no longer need to work with the BBC. It would also give the broadcaster a large enough UK portfolio to compete for advertising with ITV.
Discovery has since said it is not preparing a bid for Channel 4.
