Exclusive week one coverage of the Australian Open 2023 has resulted strong year-on-year audience growth in Europe for Warner Bros. Discovery Sports (WBDS) on its discovery+ and the Eurosport App streaming platforms.
The company has seen overall streaming audiences rise by almost a third across Europe on discovery+ and the Eurosport App with discovery+ in particular more than doubling its streaming audience supported by coverage of every match in new markets in 2023 including Germany and Austria.
Key markets including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK report double-digit streaming growth while triple-digit growth observed in Denmark and Norway with heightened awareness of emerging Nordic stars Holger Rune and Casper Ruud.
Linear television viewership also remained strong with that across Europe on Eurosport 1 consistent with the 2022 tournament, where matches broke audience records. Eurosport 1 audiences grew 84% annually in Poland and 39% in the Netherlands. The latter was boosted by the performances of local heroes (including Magda Linette, Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek in Poland, and the all-Dutch tie of Tallon Griekspoor v Botic Van de Zandschulp in the Netherlands)
Eurosport 2 enjoyed a +16% growth in viewers across Europe, showcasing the action from the Margaret Court Arena in addition to local broadcast windows in key markets.
Among particular highlights for the WBDS Open coverageWBDS Open coverage was three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray’s five-set epic against Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis (pictured), the second longest in Australian Open history and which attracted the highest number of viewers across Warner Bros. Discovery’s channels and platforms in all markets so far.
