Discovery buys Scripps

It would be nice if they invest a little in some new acquisitions for UKTV, programme sharing from the existing Discovery channels and finally launching Gold HD.

Gold in HD? Can't see it myself. That would be like asking for Challenge in HD.

Don't scoff. Gold commissions new programming that would benefit from a HD simulcast (they're the Comic Strip Presents broadcaster now, for instance).

There are quite a lot of shows that were originally made in HD - newer BBC shows, new commissions, etc - so they have plenty of HD content.

It's actually Scripps that already owns both, but obviously Discovery may want to do things differently.

It should be interesting how this is all implemented, not sure about more Discovery content on the Scripps/UKTV channels, but time will tell.

I'd expect some rationalisation of channels, especially as the amount of UKTV fodder coming from the BBC is bound to drop with less 'new' BBC commissioning now.

I'm not so sure, there only two cross over channels

* Quest and Dave
* Good food and the good network

There not really a female channel on uktv network unlike Quest red. Quest happily sit along side Dave. While travel channel would need to be chop into three.

I like food network it has some guilty pleasures mystery dinners but to fair part from the UK stuff most of it just meh.

Yesterday and Discovery History.
Eden and Animal Planet.

Three of those are not in freeview also Why kill off channels on pay wall?

I think Dave has the advantage for having homegrown comedy type shows, whereas Quest is stricly reality/factual. I don't think they'll be too much changes.

Saw a comment somewhere in the chatter surrounding this that Discovery could use this purchase to convert one of the channels acquired to a FTA Sports service, taking the pressure off Quest for overflow Eurosport material.