- From 16 March subscribers in the UK & Ireland can enjoy discovery+ from just £3.99/ €4.99 p.c.m via an ‘Ad-Lite’ offering
- The discovery+ Entertainment Pass will feature limited ads, whilst the Entertainment & Sport Pass remains ad-free on-demand*
- Subscribers will have even more choice over their viewing experience, accessing the best unscripted content for even better value
- discovery+ is the first global SVOD service to offer ‘Ad-Lite’ in the UK and follows the successful launch of the Discovery product in the US
15 February 2022 – London, UK – Discovery UK has today outlined plans to introduce an ‘Ad-Lite’ offering for discovery+ customers in the UK and Ireland.
From 16 March, the discovery+ Entertainment Pass will be available at the lower price of £3.99/ €4.99 p.c.m or £39.99/ €49.99 p.a (currently £4.99/€5.99 p.c.m or £49.99/€59.99 p.a). The ‘Ad-Lite’ product will offer customers increased value for money and continued access to all the best unscripted content from the definitive non-fiction streaming service, discovery+.
The discovery+ Entertainment & Sport Pass will remain ad-free on-demand* and, like the Entertainment Pass, offers subscribers all of Discovery’s free and Pay TV channels, exclusive discovery+ Originals, plus the full sports roster which includes the Olympic Games, tennis, Grand Tour cycling, snooker and motorsports for £6.99/ €6.99 p.c.m or £59.99/ €69.99 p.a.
discovery+ is the first global SVOD service to launch an ‘Ad-Lite’ offering in the UK, this follows the successful launch of the Discovery ‘Ad-Lite’ product in the US, with a further roll-out across EMEA expected this year.
James Gibbons, EVP, GM UK and Nordics, Discovery Inc, said: “We are pleased to outline our ‘Ad-Lite’ proposition in the UK and Ireland for discovery+, following the successful roll-out for Discovery in the US. Increased SVOD stacking is driving interest in ad-supported options globally and, as the market only gets more competitive, we want to offer UK consumers that same choice and value through discovery+.
“From March, we will bring consumers two distinct products: both offering our premium unscripted content at great value, but with the choice of limited ads or ad-free viewing on-demand. By reshaping our offering we are able to reduce the cost of our Entertainment Pass to just £3.99/month, one of the most competitive price points in the market, whilst still offering less than half the amount of ads viewers experience through linear television. Through our Entertainment & Sport Pass consumers have the choice to select an ad-free on-demand service and have access to all of our entertainment content plus our full sports line-up.
“We know there is an appetite for choice amongst our users as research shows us nearly three quarters of discovery+ subscribers are open to seeing adverts if it means a reduction in price**and we look forward to launching our new offering in response.”
Katie Coteman, VP Head of Advertising and Partnerships Discovery Networks UK & Ireland, added: “The move to an ‘Ad-Lite’ proposition for discovery+ in the UK will offer brands omnichannel solutions that reach highly engaged, passionate superfans. As a premium media owner, it’s our responsibility to ensure we are delivering the best possible ad experience to users while ensuring buyers have optimum opportunities to buy against their desired audiences.
“We know that Connected TV is where advertiser budgets are growing as they seek to follow viewers beyond linear, traditionally there hasn’t been the premium scale available in the UK but with over three quarters of consumption of discovery+ through Connected TV we are able to offer a premium environment with the scale advertisers have been looking for.”
Details on the Entertainment and Entertainment & Sport Pass can be found here.
*Some programmes contain sponsorship and trailers.
Live channels and catch-up may contain ads.
**KANTAR Entertainment on Demand (Q4,21): There is appetite for this with our users with 40.4% agreeing/strongly agreeing & 30.5% neutral to the below statement ‘’I don’t mind seeing ads if it makes the service cheaper.’
About discovery+:
discovery+ is the definitive non-fiction, real life subscription streaming service. discovery+ has the largest-ever content offering of any new streaming service at launch, 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. For more, visit discoveryplus.com or find it on a variety of platforms and devices, including ones from Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Roku and Samsung.
About Discovery, Inc.
Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is a global leader in real life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. Discovery delivers over 8,000 hours of original programming each year and has category leadership across deeply loved content genres around the world. Available in over 220 countries and territories and nearly 50 languages, Discovery is a platform innovator, reaching viewers on all screens, including TV Everywhere products such as the GO portfolio of apps; direct-to-consumer streaming services such as discovery+, Food Network Kitchen and MotorTrend OnDemand; digital-first and social content from Group Nine Media; a landmark natural history and factual content partnership with the BBC; and a strategic alliance with PGA TOUR to create the international home of golf. Discovery’s portfolio of premium brands includes Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as the multi-platform JV with Chip and Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Network, in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of 3 locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe.
For more information, please visit corporate.discovery.com and follow @DiscoveryIncTV across social platforms.