Tag: TLC

Interpret: Discovery+ Fills Strong Niche

Discovery Channel’s new Discovery+ streaming service, which launched Jan. 4 in the United States, is filling a strong niche, according to Interpret research.

Available for $5 per month with a commercial-free version at $7 per month, the platform not only offers shows from Discovery Channel, with more than 55,000 episodes at launch, but also content from Discovery-owned HGTV, TLC, Food Network, Animal Planet, OWN and more. Discovery also has partnerships with BBC, A&E, Group Nine and others to provide additional content.

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“Discovery’s portfolio of channels offers an array of science, reality and non-fiction programming, providing it with a unique niche of content that is differentiated from Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock or other broadcast and cable TV network-oriented streaming services,” according to Interpret.

Interpret’s New Media Measure found that this type of content is popular, with viewership of Discovery’s portfolio of channels ranging from 7% to 20% of pay-TV subscribers.

“Discovery is betting that those same people will happily pay $5 per month, particularly if they leave traditional pay-TV,” according to Interpret.

Discovery+ is already available in the United Kingdom and Ireland and intends to roll out to 25 international markets this year. A promotion from Verizon provides as much as one year free of Discovery+ to its wireless customers.

Discovery Touts Overseas HGTV, Food Network Launches for Driving Revenue Increase

Media giant Discovery Feb. 27 reported fourth-quarter (ended Dec. 31, 2019) revenue increased 2% to $2.8 billion, with U.S. advertising and distribution revenue up 1% and 5%, respectively. International advertising and distribution revenue increased 5% and 10%, respectively.

Discovery’s portfolio of premium brands includes Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and the forthcoming multi-platform joint venture with Chip and Joanna Gaines, Magnolia, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, home of the Olympic Games TV broadcast across Europe.

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Specifically, Discovery attributed revenue gains in part to the globalization of domestic media brands HGTV and Food Network. In 2019, HGTV and Food Network launched in more than 30 new countries and territories combined.

Total share of viewing in 2019 for Discovery’s top 10 international markets increased 2%, on average. The company continued to establish foothold across existing and new direct-to-consumer platforms in Europe, including Dplay in 10 markets, TVN Player in Poland, and Joyn in Germany.

Discovery said it was the most-watched pay-TV portfolio in the U.S. among women 25-54 and 18+ for both primetime and total day in 2019. TLC delivered its best year ever globally, improving both international share and viewership by 8%, and in the U.S., TLC was the fastest growing ad-supported cable network among women 25-54 and 18-49, with its best primetime performance in 16 years.

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“2019 was a year of promises made and promises delivered,” CEO David Zaslav said in a statement. “Our differentiated local content strategy and global scale, coupled with our unique free cash flow conversion profile, provide distinct financial flexibility that allows us to adapt to changing media consumption habits.”