This can't be good for the linear channels at all? I see lots of new US series from Discovery/TLC now as Discovery+ exclusives/originals for the UK. And this is even before Discovery announce their new streaming service for the US which I'm sure will have the best of the programming for Discovery + US/UK. Up until now Discovery focused solely on content for their linear channels (one of the last big media companies) now everything is pivoting to streaming. I think it will definitely be a different story when the pay Discovery channels come up for renewal again? Could we see Discovery go to the same extremes as Disney in the UK?
This can't be good for the linear channels at all? I see lots of new US series from Discovery/TLC now as Discovery+ exclusives/originals for the UK. And this is even before Discovery announce their new streaming service for the US which I'm sure will have the best of the programming for Discovery + US/UK. Up until now Discovery focused solely on content for their linear channels (one of the last big media companies) now everything is pivoting to streaming. I think it will definitely be a different story when the pay Discovery channels come up for renewal again? Could we see Discovery go to the same extremes as Disney in the UK?
Discovery has a few things going for it that Disney didn't: Higher EPG positions (on Sky at least), Freeview carriage and a wider audience appeal than just something narrowed to the under 12's. Its thus easier to make the linear outputs work for them, as opposed to Disney which had all their channels buried in the 600s on Sky and no Freeview presence. They did have a channel on Freeview about 15 years ago now (ABC1) but they got rid of that after three years and gave up the carriage slot for it.
Discovery doesn't have the pull that Disney has, I doubt that the economics of replicating a Disney style move would payoff for them for a while yet, some rationalisation across channels might come though, especially their SD only subscription channels which stand out as odd at present.
What Discovery has that Disney doesn't is that it's rich in factual content. Disney have the Nat Geo back catalogue, but Discovery have invested a lot in UK generated content.
What Discovery has that Disney doesn't is that it's rich in factual content. Disney have the Nat Geo back catalogue, but Discovery have invested a lot in UK generated content.
They don't just have the back catalogue, Disney now own everything National Geographic that's not the original society - the magazine, TV channels, website etc
Discovery factual content will also, presumably, appeal to older audiences who are more at home watching linear and time-shifted linear PVR recordings on their main TVs (and aren't as happy using Apps outside of reverse- EPG stuff) - whereas Disney will be aiming at kids who are much more likely to watch on demand on phones, tablets etc. as well as TVs.