Discovery, the American non-fiction entertainment company and owner of the Discovery Channel, announced on Jan. 8 that it is taking a controlling stake of 71 percent in the Play Sports Group, to create world's top “cycling media ecosystem.” Based in the U.K., Play Sports owns six cycling media channels – including the Global Cycling, Global Mountain Bike and Global Triathlon networks – all available on YouTube and generating about 45 million monthly views. Discovery, meanwhile, is already a leading broadcaster for cycling in Europe, holding the rights to the three Grand Tours, the five Monuments and the UCI World Championships. As a subsidiary of Discovery, Play Sports will be operating through Discovery's Eurosport subscription service, currently available via streaming or Canal+. In October, Discovery announced a similar initiative, GolfTV, the result of a deal struck with the PGA Tour last June.

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