The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will have special meaning for Warner Bros. Discovery. HBO Max is not only the official broadcaster of the games in Europe, but also the flagship streaming hub for the snow and ice sports extravaganza from February 6th to 22nd, which has just completed its rollout in the region.
Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns the Eurosport Network, will broadcast 865 hours of live Olympic games across 15 venues. Their coverage includes 116 medal-worthy events in 16 sports, including events making their Olympic debut, such as ski mountaineering.
“Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Conor Storey will carry the Olympic torch ahead of the Feb. 6 opening ceremony, which features Mariah Carey singing in Italian, Andrea Bocelli performing and a combination of Hollywood and Italian star icons. They are also expected to reappear during the game as part of a promotion for the show, which depicts a heated romance between two rival hockey players, and is currently airing across Europe on HBO Max.
Below, Variety speaks with Alessandro Alaimo, head of Warner Bros. Discovery Southern Europe, about how the Olympics are involved in the effort to roll out HBO Max in Europe, and why the fact that the Milan-Cortina Games are the most widespread in Olympic history “creates great beauty” for viewers.
How important are the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics as a driver for HBO Max’s European expansion?
The Olympics is certainly one of the best premium content available to HBO Max subscribers. That’s why it’s included in the HBO Max package, not the sports package. That is, they are the same as the major entertainment series and movies that we offer. For us, this is important content on our platform, both from a subscriber acquisition perspective and from a subscriber consumption perspective. And also from a marketing, communications and brand association perspective between HBO Max and, of course, the five Olympic rings.
When it comes to brand ties, having Rivals stars Hudson Williams and Connor Story as official torchbearers was a huge marketing success, especially considering Rivals will be released on HBO Max in Italy on February 13th. Will they reappear in some form during the actual game?
I can’t comment on that at this time.
HBO Max offers cutting-edge immersive coverage through an integrated platform that allows users to watch up to four events simultaneously on one screen. How is the Winter Olympics experience on HBO Max different from the Eurosport channel, also offered by DAZN?
Eurosport is the de facto sports show on HBO Max. This is the sports brand for HBO’s entire Olympic coverage. This distinction is based solely on the technical characteristics used to enjoy the content. But in terms of editorial curation, the content is exactly the same in terms of the quality guaranteed by the Eurosport brand.
Marco Baric, who is producing the opening ceremony, said it would be a more low-key ceremony than other recent Olympic opening ceremonies, with fewer Hollywood stars and more emphasis on Italy’s appeal. What do you think about it?
From my point of view, the branding, so to speak, of this year’s Milan and Cortina Olympics clearly reflects the “Made in Italy” theme. This is an aspect that must necessarily play a role during the ceremony, as always happens in events of this kind. I think it will be a wonderful ceremony. There will also be some surprises. Of great interest are the two Olympic cauldrons in Cortina and Sempione Park in Milan.
Come to think of it, the Milan-Cortina Games are the most widespread in Olympic history. How does this affect coverage?
Logistics and production involve incredible complexity. From a production point of view, we have managed by having multiple locations in four main areas: Milan, Cortina, Bormio and Livigno. This wasn’t easy. Because we needed to create three studios and needed full data connectivity between them. There will be less movement of technical staff than usual. This is because travel time is too long and difficult to manage, and road travel complicates traffic. Well, there are complications. But in my opinion this would create great aesthetics from a media perspective. From the perspective of watching the Olympics, I think the beauty will be unparalleled.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Alaimo, top right, is pictured with Italian Olympic Committee President Luciano Buonfiglio.
