{"id":7421,"date":"2019-12-16T09:00:51","date_gmt":"2019-12-16T14:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev2.worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/worldscreen.com\/"},"modified":"2019-12-17T09:35:23","modified_gmt":"2019-12-17T14:35:23","slug":"discoverys-lifestyle-centered-format-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/discoverys-lifestyle-centered-format-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Discovery\u2019s Lifestyle-Centered Format Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Elliot Wagner, senior VP of global program sales at Discovery, talks to <\/em>TV Formats about how the acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive is informing the company’s format strategy.<\/em><\/p>\n

In 2018, Discovery acquired Scripps Networks Interactive, bolstering its format library across categories including food, home, science and auto. At this year\u2019s MIPCOM, Discovery formally launched its new comprehensive format lineup, as it looks to have a larger impact in the space in the years ahead with its focus firmly set on lifestyle programming.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the absence of any real format strategy, we\u2019ve been really opportunistic, up to this point,\u201d says Elliot Wagner, senior VP of global program sales at Discovery. \u201cWe didn\u2019t really have a real strategy to grow that business. It was very reactive.\u201d With the acquisition of Scripps and its rich catalog of format IP teaming with lifestyle content, Discovery gained a larger footprint in the format business as well as the accompanying need for a plan for how to find the most success in the market.<\/p>\n

As part of Discovery\u2019s new format strategy, decisions have been made\u2014and will continue needing to be made\u2014in regard to which titles will find their homes on Discovery-owned networks and which will be sent elsewhere. \u201cIt\u2019s always going to be an ongoing process of what do our networks internally want to reserve the rights to and do reversions of internationally for our own, wholly-owned networks,\u201d says Wagner. \u201cOur networks have identified a number of properties that they\u2019re going to format and localize in other regions on our networks. And what\u2019s left is what we\u2019re going to be bringing out into the market.\u201d<\/p>\n

At present, Discovery\u2019s lifestyle formats catalog is largely driven by food competition shows such as Guy\u2019s Grocery Games<\/em>, Beat Bobby Flay<\/em> and Chopped<\/em>, all of which, as Wagner points out, have heavily \u201cformat-able\u201d elements. \u201cI think the \"***Image***\"success of a lot of our programming is that the genres we\u2019re programming in are universal,\u201d says Wagner. \u201cYou talk about food; everybody, every culture, every region in the world enjoys good food and there are cooks and everybody eats every day. In most mature markets, there\u2019s the rise of the celebrity chef. That\u2019s a universal phenomenon. I think cooking competitions naturally lend themselves to travel. Instead of using particular ingredients in a U.S. version that are sensible to the U.S. market, maybe we create an Italian version that focuses on all of their natural ingredients or the Mediterranean diet. It lends itself to being adapted locally.\u201d<\/p>\n

And while cookery-lifestyle formats might be particularly in demand right now, also gaining traction for Discovery is Drag Me Down the Aisle<\/em>, which sees drag queens surprise a \u201cplain Jane\u201d bride and transform her for her wedding day. \u201cWhat we\u2019re hearing from a number of territories, particularly in EMEA, is that that kind of edgy programming is what will set a show apart,\u201d says Wagner. \u201cIt takes it out of the clutter. That\u2019s a great example of one that we fully expect that we\u2019ll be announcing some deals on.\u201d<\/p>\n

With its new format strategy, Discovery is aiming to develop programs around the world. Already having seen its formats land with success in France and Germany as well as Australia, the company hopes to begin developing formats in Latin America. \u201cThat\u2019s a market that traditionally hasn\u2019t been receptive to doing a lot of formats,\u201d admits Wagner. \u201cBut we feel like if there\u2019s the right financing model, there\u2019s a way to get that done. One of the things that we would like to do with our formats is work with partners to create the formats for the local markets but then negotiate in some way for our own networks in the regions to get a second window on those shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a way we might be able to break that market,\u201d adds Wagner. \u201cI think all it takes is one success to see if you can get a little bit of momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to the impact that streamers stand to make on the format industry, Wagner has a healthy amount of skepticism. \u201cIt depends on budgets. Is that sustainable?\u201d he wonders. Though he believes in their ability to shake up the industry, the bottom line for the executive is that quality content is going to work and it\u2019s going to find a home. \u201cGood content rises to the top,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople will find it on whatever platform. I think there are a lot of emerging streaming platforms and digital products where they might have great product, but it\u2019s about marketing. How are they acquiring subscribers and will it be found?\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Wagner sees Discovery\u2019s formats resonating with audiences around the world as they roll out over the course of the next year. \u201cWe are going to respect the original versions, and make sure we\u2019re consulting with the original production companies and that the local versions are true and accurate representations and done well. If we do that, I think that they\u2019ll work and we\u2019ll see renewals coming in.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we\u2019ll start to build trust in the buying community,\u201d Wagner adds. \u201cThey\u2019ll understand that when they come to us, not only will they be looking at good IP and how good the IP is for them to buy, but that we\u2019re there to work with them throughout the process, connecting them to the original producers. And then in a consulting capacity, making sure we\u2019re working together to make sure that everybody is happy with what the product that goes on air is.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to titles with a quirkier premise like Drag Me Down the Aisle<\/em>, Discovery\u2019s format slate boasts adventure and survival shows like Naked and Afraid<\/em>, which has launched in France. And while the company is just as happy to discuss adaptations of those sorts of programs, one genre in particular is at the heart of Discovery\u2019s format strategy for the time being.<\/p>\n

Wagner says, \u201cRight now it\u2019s the right time for us to be shouting about lifestyle and taking advantage of all of this IP we acquired with the Scripps acquisition.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The senior VP of global program sales at Discovery talks about how the acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive is informing the company’s format strategy. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1033,"featured_media":7422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[68,69],"tags":[220,1965],"class_list":["post-7421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-profiles","category-top-stories","tag-discovery","tag-elliot-wagner","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\nDiscovery\u2019s Lifestyle-Centered Format Strategy - TVFORMATS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/discoverys-lifestyle-centered-format-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Discovery\u2019s Lifestyle-Centered Format Strategy - TVFORMATS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The senior VP of global program sales at Discovery talks about how the acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive is informing the company's format strategy.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/discoverys-lifestyle-centered-format-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TVFORMATS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-12-16T14:00:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-12-17T14:35:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/07\/2019-12-13-GuysGroceryGames-Discovery.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"315\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chelsea Regan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chelsea Regan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/discoverys-lifestyle-centered-format-strategy\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/discoverys-lifestyle-centered-format-strategy\/\",\"name\":\"Discovery\u2019s Lifestyle-Centered Format Strategy - TVFORMATS\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-12-16T14:00:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-12-17T14:35:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/#\/schema\/person\/2a2c6d8fb3c7c8b4220b8877ecffb79a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/discoverys-lifestyle-centered-format-strategy\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/discoverys-lifestyle-centered-format-strategy\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/discoverys-lifestyle-centered-format-strategy\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Discovery\u2019s Lifestyle-Centered Format Strategy\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/\",\"name\":\"TVFORMATS\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/#\/schema\/person\/2a2c6d8fb3c7c8b4220b8877ecffb79a\",\"name\":\"Chelsea Regan\",\"description\":\"Chelsea Regan is the managing editor of World Screen. 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