If 2020 has been a landmark year for the streaming industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic with huge amounts of services slugging it out, 2021 will begin with even more options with the long-awaited arrival of the discovery+ streaming service from content giant Discovery.
The new discovery+ will feature what its owner claims will be the industry’s largest-ever content library for a new streaming service with more than 55,000 episodes. Content will be drawn from Discovery’s flagship brands, the BBC’s Natural History collection, A&E Networks and Group Nine among others. The service promises to offer a range of exclusive, original series across popular, passion verticals in which Discovery brands have a strong leadership position, including lifestyle and relationships; home and food; true crime; paranormal; adventure and natural history; as well as science, tech and the environment, and a slate of high-quality documentaries.
In the US discovery+ will also offer over 2,500 current and classic shows from Discovery’s portfolio of networks, including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. As part of a new content partnership, discovery+ will bring together for the first time the top non-fiction content from A&E, The HISTORY Channel and Lifetime with the Discovery brand portfolio.
US viewers will also gain access to new series from franchises and personalities such as Chip and Joanna Gaines; Will Packer and Kevin Hart; 90 Day Fiancé; Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis; Duff Goldman; Amy Schumer; Carla Hall; David Schwimmer; Sir David Attenborough; Ben Napier; Sebastian Maniscalco; Joe Kenda; Mike Rowe and many others.
discovery+ will debut in the US on 4 January 2021 and US comms operator Verizon will accelerate adoption of discovery+ in the US with an exclusive 12-month offer that makes original programming and on-demand favourites available to new. Outside of the US, Discovery will use its library of local-language content, as well as its portfolio of live sports, such as Eurosport, to drive its direct-to-consumer offering across more than 25 key markets in 2021, including the Nordics, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. discovery+ will also launch in Latin American markets, including a planned launch in Brazil, and in parts of Asia. It is already on offer in the UK and the Republic of Ireland on Sky Q and will further be supported by TIM in Italy in early 2021.
“We have been working methodically the past two years to bring all of our strategic advantages to the launch of discovery+, including distribution and advertising partnerships around the world, a world-class offering of quality brands, authentic personalities and the largest content library at launch, as well as a broad slate of exclusive programming,” said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery commenting on the launch.
“With discovery+, we are seizing the global opportunity to be the world’s definitive product for unscripted storytelling, providing households and mobile consumers a distinct, clear and differentiated offering across valuable and enduring lifestyle, and real life verticals. We believe discovery+ is the perfect complement to every streaming portfolio, and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with Verizon to bring this incredible content to their customer base."