Discovery, the company that owns the Discovery Channel, Food Network, Animal Planet, and more is launching its own streaming service, discovery+ (stylized as such). Yes, if Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, Peacock, and HBO Max weren"t enough for you, you"ll soon be able to pay for yet another streaming service.
discovery+ will launch on January 4 in the U.S., and it will come in two tiers: one supported by ads, and one without them. The ad-supported version will apparently cost $4.99 per month, while the ad-free offering bumps that up to $6.99, with support for up to four concurrent streams and five users per account.
Discovery will be teaming up with Verizon to offer up to 12 months of the ad-free subscription to its customers. On the wireless side, Play More Unlimited and Get More Unlimited plans - plus those who get Verizon 5G Home Internet - get the full 12 months for free, while Start and Do More Unlimited customers get 6 months. Meanwhile, Fios Gigabit Connection customers can also get 12 months for free, with other Fios plans potentially getting between three and six months.
In terms of content, Discovery is touting "the largest-ever content library for a new streaming service", with over 55,000 episodes of shows from networks such as BBC"s Natural History Collection, A&E Networks, TLC, HGTV, The HISTORY Channel, Lifetime, and more. There will also be new original shows from personalities such as Sir David Attenborough and Kevin Hart.
discovery+ is also coming to over 25 markets around the world in 2021, and it"s already available for Sky Q customers in the UK and Ireland. In Europe, the service will leverage Eurosports, the company"s local sports network that covers a multitude of events, including being the official home of the Olympic Games. As such, starting next year, the Olympic Games will be on discovery+ in Europe, both live and on demand.