Eurosport blends classical, electronic sounds for Paris Olympics theme

By Dak Dillon July 25, 2024

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Eurosport, a Warner Bros. Discovery network, has revealed its anthem and theme music for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

The theme, set to be featured across Warner Bros. Discovery’s European channels and platforms during the Games, is a remix of the original composition created for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were delayed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The original score was composed by Steven Price, known for his Academy Award-winning work. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London with the London Symphony Orchestra in 2019. Price stated that the initial brief was to create a celebratory theme for the games that could be used in various ways throughout the coverage.

“The piece I came up with sought to combine the triumphant celebration of the sporting achievements to come whilst also reflecting the work and sacrifices it takes to perform at that level,” Price said. He added that the original recording combined the London Symphony Orchestra with layers of taiko-led percussion and effects derived from source recordings of various sports.

Eurosport collaborated with French electropop artist Yelle for the Paris Games, who contributed lyrics and vocals to the remix.

The new version incorporates live guitar and harpsichord recordings at Motorbass studio in Paris’s Montmartre district. This studio is known for its association with French artists such as Cassius, Phoenix and Sébastien Tellier.

Guillaume Mouillé, senior creative director at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, oversaw the project. Mouillé described the remix as a blend of orchestral and electronic elements, stating it reflects both tradition and modernity associated with the Olympic Games.

“This Paris 2024 remix, blending orchestral and electronic elements, celebrates both the spirit of sport and the Olympics, capturing the ‘old vs new’ dynamic that represents the tradition and modernity of the Games,” said David Bernard-Bret, VP Marketing & Brand – Sports EMEA at Warner Bros. Discovery. 

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The theme was created by a team that included Sébastien Lipszyc and Alain Tristant from Laplage, who also worked with Eurosport on a theme music revamp in 2022, along with Jean-François Perrier, Adrien Rozé, Clément Savoye, Antoine Poyeton from Motorbass.

The theme will debut across Warner Bros. Discovery’s platforms as the Paris Olympics commence. It will be used throughout the Games on Eurosport and all Warner Bros. Discovery channels and platforms across Europe.

Warner Bros. Discovery holds the European rights to broadcast the Olympic Games. The company’s coverage will span multiple platforms, including traditional television broadcasts and digital streaming services, aiming to provide comprehensive coverage of the events to viewers across the continent.

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