Media giant Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has appointed Andrew Georgiou, the president and managing director of WBD Sports Europe, as the company’s new head of media business in the UK and Ireland.

Georgiou will retain his current position at WBD Sports Europe, which operates its sports broadcasters Eurosport and TNT Sports.

He takes over the media business role from Antonio Ruiz, who joined in June 2022 but left the UK in March to return to Spain. Priya Dogra, WBD’s president and managing director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, has been leading the UK business on an interim basis but is also due to exit the company later this year.

As part of his expanded role, Georgiou will lead the company across the region’s multiple television channel brands, including Discovery, TLC, Quest, Quest Red, Cartoon Network, and WBD’s streaming service Discovery+. He will also continue to oversee Eurosport and TNT Sports as part of his role at WBD Sports Europe.

He also has responsibility for consumer products and home entertainment and will support the local Warner Bros. theatrical business.

Georgiou said: “It’s an honor to be asked to take on the UK and Ireland with such a proven and seasoned leadership team.

“My expanded role in many ways mirrors the ambition of the company – to combine and grow our entertainment and sports offering together across our TV networks and streaming businesses. 

“With TNT Sports now live on all linear platforms and Discovery+, the streaming home of TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland, and the football and rugby seasons kicking off, there could not be a better time to get started.”

Georgiou joined WBD in 2019 as president of Eurosport from sports marketing agency Lagardere Sports and Entertainment where he was chief executive.

He played a key role in WBD striking its joint venture with pay-TV’s BT Group that saw the launch of TNT Sports, the UK’s newest sports offering that holds rights to English soccer’s Premier League, UEFA European club competitions, Premiership Rugby, motorcycling's MotoGP, mixed martial arts promotion UFC, boxing, and WWE wrestling.

Gerhard Zeiler, WBD’s international president, said: “Andrew has excelled at the business, being both commercially savvy and able to get things done.

“As we enter another important period during these transformative times for our broader business, I’m looking forward to working even more closely with Andrew to shape our path and best position our company for continued and longer-term success.”