Bernard Ross has been named Discovery Communications-owned sports channel group Eurosport’s new chief operating officer and GM of Olympic Games.

In the new role, which takes effect in January, Ross (pictured) will steer the direction of European coverage of the Olympic Games for Discovery, following the media co’s acquisition of the European rights to the 2018 – 2024 Games. The 2015 rights’ acquisition includes the Games broadcast across all platforms and 50 European countries and territories.

Ross will primarily focus attention on Germany, Norway, and Sweden, providing a localized approach to Olympic fans.

Based out of Paris, he will report to Peter Hutton, CEO of Eurosport.

Prior to joining Eurosport, Ross was head of TV production at The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), where, from 2008 – 2016, he managed live broadcasts of the UEFA Euro tournament, the second-biggest soccer tournament in the world after the World Cup.