Ranking The Potential Of Each Streaming Service
9. Discovery+
Estimated Subscribers – 11m
The Discovery Channel is one of the most well-known cable networks out there, maintaining a global presence. Though traditionally associated with nature and science programming, its modern slate is more reality-focused, making it more generalist than specialist.
Its sizable portfolio of sister channels includes Animal Planet, the Food Network, the Learning Channel), HGTV (focused on home improvement), the Travel Channel and the Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as Eurosport’s weird and wonderful collection of things not quite high profile enough for Sky in Europe.
Discovery+ is a new creation, having only launched in territories outside of India (where it was piloted) at the beginning of 2021. It brings together content from the aforementioned channels as well as other factual ones, such as the A&E Networks-owned History Channel, creating one huge collection of factual and reality programming in every conceivable subgenre, with one notable exception.
That exception is general entertainment programming in the form of dramas and comedies, the backbone of television that will be the primary driver of most customer purchasing decisions.
With Netflix boasting a sizable volume of non-fiction programming (signing up the likes of David Attenborough) and Disney+ showcasing Discovery’s long-time rival National Geographic as one of their modules, you’d have to think they’d be better placed partnering with another service looking for equivalents.