A plasma discharge model has been developed for the bulk plasma (also called the extended presheath) in sputtering magnetrons. It can be used both for high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and conventional dc sputtering magnetrons. Demonstration calculations are made for the parameters of the HiPIMS sputtering magnetron at Linköping University, and also benchmarked against results in the literature on dc magnetrons. New insight is obtained regarding the structure and time development of the currents, the electric fields and the potential profiles. The transverse resistivity η_⊥ has been identified as having fundamental importance both for the potential profiles and for the motion of ionized target material through the bulk plasma. New findings are that in the HiPIMS mode, as a consequence of a high value of η_⊥, (1) there can be an electric field reversal that in our case extends 0.01–0.04 m from the target, (2) the electric field in the bulk plasma is typically an order of magnitude weaker than in dc magnetrons, (3) in the region of electric field reversal the azimuthal current is diamagnetic in nature, i.e. mainly driven by the electron pressure gradient, and actually somewhat reduced by the electron Hall current which here has a reversed direction and (4) the azimuthal current above the racetrack can, through resistive friction, significantly influence the motion of the ionized fraction of the sputtered material and deflect it sideways, away from the target and towards the walls of the magnetron.