As expected, Facebook has officially confirmed it has hired Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton to drive its move into live sports.
Rumours first surfaced in January that the social media site had targeted Hutton to lead its charge into sports broadcasting.
“Peter is uniquely qualified to lead our live sports partnerships… he knows the global sports rights landscape, owns strong relationships, and has a track record of delivering results on multiple continents,” Dan Reed, head of global sports partnerships said on his Facebook page.
“Plus, he’s worked on behalf of both broadcasters and rights holders. He’ll help us continue to collaborate with both, including our great partners at Discovery, as we seek to deliver world-class live sports content to our global community of sports fans.”
Hutton also wrote on his Facebook page: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my three years with Eurosport, an incredible experience with some brilliant people, both in Paris and in the wider Discovery family.
“However, the potential to work with Facebook to help the team and its partners unlock the power of live sports is too good an opportunity to turn down. I’m looking forward to an exciting journey and a bundle of new experiences, and hope I live up to the trust of Dan Reed and his team.”
He will officially take up his new role in late May.
