discovery+ builds on success of dplay to aggregate Discovery UK’s premium pay-TV and free-to-air brands for the first time, creating the home of real-life entertainment.
Fans of food, homes, motoring, adventure, weddings, true crime and more will be able to stream their favourite shows across an unrivalled range of categories.
Sky announced as exclusive TV launch partner in unprecedented deal between Discovery UK and Sky.
London, October 20, 2020 – Discovery UK has announced that dplay is being rebranded to discovery+ in the UK & Ireland next month alongside the launch of a subscription tier. The real-life entertainment streaming service will aggregate Discovery UK’s pay-TV and free-to-air brands, creating the ultimate destination for captivating factual, lifestyle and reality content. It will be available directly to all consumers in the UK & Ireland, and to Sky Q customers for 12 months at no extra cost.
discovery+ invites fans to stream their favourite shows from Discovery UK’s portfolio of 13 iconic channels; including pay-TV brands Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, ID, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo and Discovery History as well as its free-to-air brands Quest, Really, Quest Red, HGTV, Food Network and DMAX. It includes a subscription Entertainment Pass and ad-funded catch-up service to cater fully to the diverse passions and content demands of UK consumers.
The Entertainment Pass includes live TV and 30 day catch up for Discovery UK’s portfolio of premium brands; over 30 discovery+ Originals like Prince Andrew, Maxwell & Epstein, Faking It: Jimmy Savile and Salvage Hunters: Design Classics with new launches every month; Early Releases of hit network titles including World’s Greatest Cars and Ghost Adventures; Extensive box sets of iconic franchises such as Gold Rush and 90 Day Fiancé with same day release as the US; and Superfan Collections around key talent or core genres. The ad-funded service includes live TV and 30 day catch up for Discovery’s free-to-air brands.
Consumers will be able to subscribe to discovery+ directly via web or app purchase for a monthly fee of £4.99 or a discounted annual fee of £29.99 (for a limited period), standard price £49.99 in the UK, or a monthly fee of €5.99 or a discounted annual fee of €34.99 (for a limited period), standard price €59.99 in Ireland, with a 14 day free trial in both markets.
Sky Q customers will be able to access discovery+ for 12 months at no extra cost and the app will complement Discovery’s existing linear offering on Sky. Once the 12 months is over, Sky customers will be able to add discovery+ directly to their Sky bill. The app will be fully integrated into the Sky Q platform alongside existing SVOD services on the platform such as Netflix and Disney+.
James Gibbons, EVP GM UK & Nordics, said: “We’ve just celebrated our best quarter ever for audience share, and buoyed by that success are excited to announce the launch of discovery+, to fuel the rapidly evolving demand for consumers to stream content at a time and on a device of their choosing. The home of real-life entertainment will satisfy consumers’ growing appetite for premium unscripted entertainment, from food and homes to motoring and adventure, and will complement the streaming services already available in the market. We’re particularly pleased to share this milestone moment with our long-standing partner Sky, who have been with us every step of the way in our quest to reach fans of real-life entertainment wherever they are in the UK. “
The last year has seen Discovery UK’s portfolio hit a 5% audience share (up by 17% YoY) following the integration of former UKTV channels. The breadth of its portfolio now attracts a wide variety of consumers who come to the network to pursue their real-life passions. Flagship brand Discovery Channel remains one of the most well-loved channel brands amongst consumers with 80% awareness and provides a strong foundation for discovery+.
discovery+ will be rolled out on additional devices and platforms in 2020 and 2021.
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