Discovery, which has the European TV and digital rights to the Olympics, "has thrown its weight behind the bid by Paris to host the 2024 Summer Games," according to Stewart Clarke of VARIETY. Paris is battling L.A. for hosting rights after Budapest, Hamburg and Rome all dropped out. A decision will be announced by September, with Paris "currently considered the favorite." Discovery owns the Eurosport channel and paid €1.3B ($1.5B) for the European rights to both the Summer and Winter Games from '18-24. Eurosport is headquartered in the French capital, and Discovery CEO David Zaslav said that the company "supports the effort to hold the games in Europe." Zaslav added, "Discovery has significant operations in Paris and Los Angeles, and we consider both to be world-class cities. That said, as home of the Olympic Games in Europe through 2024, we are excited to show our support for the Paris bid and their quest to bring the 2024 Olympic Games back to Europe" (VARIETY, 6/8). DEADLINE's Nancy Tartaglione reported L.A. has been "vying to host" the 2024 Games, but on Wednesday, LA 2024 Chair Casey Wasserman "appeared to say that the city would be open to waiting" until '28. If Paris is awarded the games of the XXXIII Olympiad, it will mark 100 years since the French capital last hosted. Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton said, "Living in Paris, I'm very proud of the city's passion for sport and its ability to deliver high quality events" (DEADLINE, 6/8).
