SILVER SPRING, Md.: Discovery Communications, Inc., parent company of international sportscaster Eurosport, has rebranded as Discovery, Inc. following the completion of its acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc.
Discovery also operates the DSport sports channel in the Indian market while its parent Liberty Media, controlled by John C Malone, owns Formula 1.
“Today marks another critical milestone for Discovery, as we become a differentiated kind of media company with the most trusted portfolio of family-friendly brands around the globe,” said David Zaslav, president and CEO for Discovery. “As a new global leader in real life entertainment, Discovery will serve loyal and passionate audiences around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains across every screen; deliver new ways for advertisers and distributors to reach highly targeted audiences at scale; and leverage our leadership position to create new value and growth opportunities for all of our stakeholders.”
“The name change to Discovery, Inc. demonstrates a new focus on growth in the areas at which Discovery excels, telling stories across deeply loved genres and empowering superfans to explore their world wherever and whenever they choose,” an official release reads.
The acquisition is expected to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share and to free cash flow in the first year after closing, including significant cost synergies. The combination is expected to create a strong economic model with capacity for rapid debt repayment and a clear runway for growth and value creation.
Kenneth Lowe, former chairman, president & CEO of Scripps Networks Interactive, will join Discovery’s board of directors, effective immediately.
