Discovery Sets January 4 Launch for Subscription Service

Discovery, Inc. is gearing up to launch the discovery+ subscription streaming service, debuting in the U.S. on January 4, 2021, with a global rollout to follow.

At launch in the U.S., discovery+ will have the largest-ever content offering of any new streaming service, featuring more than 1,000 hours of original content in year one across genres such as 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 documentaries.

There will be more than 55,000 episodes in total, with 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. The slate features new series from established 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, David Schwimmer, Sir David Attenborough, Joe Kenda, Mike Rowe and more.

As part of a new content partnership, discovery+ will bring together for the first time content from A&E, The HISTORY Channel and Lifetime with the Discovery brand portfolio. The 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.

Also, discovery+ will offer a collection of nature and environmental programming, headlined by exclusive streaming access to the BBC’s natural-history offering, including The Mating Game, Planet Earth and Blue Planet, plus content from The Dodo. Content partnerships are also in place with the environmental organizations The Explorers Club, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), The Nature Conservancy (a U.S.-based global conservation organization), Oceana and World Wildlife Fund.

Discovery and Verizon have signed a distribution agreement that brings customers on select plans up to 12 months of discovery+. 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 six months of streaming on Verizon.

David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery, Inc., commented: “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.”

Internationally, Discovery will tap into its library of local-language content, as well as its portfolio of live sports, to drive its direct-to-consumer offering across more than 25 key markets in 2021. The international rollout started with the U.K. and Ireland, as well as India, and will include the Nordics, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Discovery+ will also launch in Latin American markets, including Brazil, and in parts of Asia.

In the European markets launching in 2021, discovery+ will be supported by Eurosport’s multi-sport offering, which includes the tennis Grand Slams, cycling Grand Tours, motorsport, football and winter sports. Starting with the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year, it will become the streaming home of the Olympics in Europe.

JB Perrette, the president and CEO of Discovery International, said: “With decades of connecting audiences in every corner of the globe to the local voices and stories they love, Discovery drives inspiration, aspiration and loyalty everywhere, like few media brands can. discovery+ will harness our unique global and local model and strategy to serve fans around the world as we bring the best of real-life entertainment to customers in a whole new way.”