NEW YORK – Discovery, Inc., which operates cable networks Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network and Travel Network, is joining the streaming media wars with the global launch of discovery+, debuting in the U.S. next month on January 4, 2021.
discovery+ will be available in the U.S. starting at $4.99 per month, with an ad-free version available for $6.99 per month. Each account will include up to five user profiles and four concurrent streams. The company has also struck a deal with Verizon that gives their customers with select plans 12 months of discovery+ on Verizon.
The global rollout of discovery+ across an initial 25 countries has already begun with the U.K. and Ireland last month, as well as India which rolled out in March.
At launch in the U.S., the company says discovery+ will have the largest-ever content offering of any new streaming service, featuring a wide 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.
David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery, Inc., said: “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. 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.”
In the U.S., discovery+ will offer more than 55,000 episodes all in one place, with over 2,500 current and classic shows from Discovery’s iconic portfolio of networks, including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. Viewers in the U.S. will also gain access to new series from iconic 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. A list of discovery+ original greenlights can be found below.
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, deepening the service’s leadership position as the premier destination for the best in real life entertainment. More than 1,500 episodes of content from popular franchises from A&E networks on discovery+ will include The First 48, Bring It, Dance Moms, Ice Road Truckers, Pawn Stars, Ancient Aliens, Storage Wars, 60 Days In, Intervention and Ghost Hunters.
Additionally, discovery+ will also offer the definitive collection of nature and environmental programming, headlined by exclusive streaming access to the BBC’s largest natural history offering, including The Mating Game, Planet Earth and Blue Planet, plus content from digital-first brand The Dodo. discovery+ will also feature special content partnerships with the top environmental organizations in the world, including The Explorers Club, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), The Nature Conservancy (a U.S.-based global conservation organization), Oceana and World Wildlife Fund.
Verizon Partnership
Discovery and Verizon have signed a landmark distribution agreement that primes discovery+ for wide-scale home and mobile entertainment viewing at launch. Under the partnership, Verizon customers on select plans will enjoy up to 12 months of discovery+ on 5G Ultra Wideband, 5G Home Internet and Fios. At launch, new and existing wireless customers with a Play More or Get More Unlimited plan will get 12 months of discovery+ on Verizon; customers with Start or Do More Unlimited plans will receive 6 months of streaming on Verizon.
New customers who sign up for Verizon 5G Home Internet or Fios Gigabit Connection can receive 12 months of discovery+ on Verizon; new Fios customers may also be eligible for three to six months depending on their plan. The offer adds access to thousands of hours of valuable premium video and a leading industry partner to the nation’s most-awarded network.
“Connecting people to their passions is at the core of what we do, and adding discovery+ on us is a phenomenal way to serve customers who love lifestyle, home, food, true crime and natural history content from one of the popular portfolios of video brands,” said Ronan Dunne, CEO of Verizon Consumer Group. “Our Mix & Match plans already offer unrivaled value in entertainment, so we’re excited to kick off 2021 by giving customers up to 12 months of discovery+, adding even more value and choice as we continue to build our ecosystem of incredible partners and services.”
