Discovery+: The Birth of a New Streamer for Real Life Entertainment

When I saw the info about the Ghost Adventures: Cecil Hotel episode, something immediately jumped out at me: it would not premiere on the proverbial platform we’ve all come to expect it to. Instead of Travel Channel, it will air exclusively on discovery+.

My first thought was, “What in the world is discovery plus?”

There was a smidge of info about it included with the press release I received about the Ghost Adventures episode, but I immediately went in search of more. And when I mentioned it to the account exec who had shared the GA info with me, she sent me even more.

So here’s what I’ve learned about the new streamer launching from Discovery, Inc. in 2021.

What is discovery+?

It’s touting itself as the “greatest collection of real-life entertainment.” When it launches, it will have the largest-ever content offering of any new streaming service. There will be more than 55,000 episodes to choose from across more than 2,500 shows.

Discovery+ will feature a wide range of exclusive, original series across popular “passion verticals” in which Discovery brands have a strong leadership position. This includes lifestyle and relationships; home and food; true crime; paranormal; adventure and natural history; as well as science, tech and the environment. There will also be a slate of high-quality documentaries.

When will it be available?

The global rollout of discovery+ across an initial 25 countries has already begun with the U.K. and Ireland, as well as India.

It will debut in the U.S. on  January 4, 2021

What kind of content will the new streamer offer?

In the U.S., discovery+ will offer more than 55,000 episodes all in one place, with over 2,500 current and classic shows from Discovery’s iconic portfolio of networks, including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.

Viewers in the U.S. will also gain access to new series from iconic franchises and personalities such as Chip and Joanna Gaines; Will Packer and Kevin Hart; 90 Day Fiancé; Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis; Duff Goldman; Amy Schumer; Carla Hall; David Schwimmer; Sir David Attenborough; Ben Napier; Sebastian Maniscalco; Joe Kenda; Mike Rowe and many others.

As part of a new content partnership, for the first time ever, discovery+ will bring together the top non-fiction content from A&E, The HISTORY Channel, and Lifetime with the Discovery brand portfolio.

There will be more than 1,500 episodes of content from popular franchises from A&E networks on discovery+. Among them will be shows like The First 48, Bring It, Dance Moms, Ice Road Truckers, Pawn Stars, Ancient Aliens, Storage Wars, 60 Days In, Intervention, and Ghost Hunters.

It will also offer the definitive collection of nature and environmental programming, headlined by exclusive streaming access to the BBC’s largest natural history offering, including The Mating Game, Planet Earth and Blue Planet, plus content from digital-first brand The Dodo.

Exclusive Originals

The Ghost Adventures: Cecil Hotel episode is an example of the exclusive content that will be available on discovery+. However, it will also have exclusive-to-the-streamer series too, including more than 1,000 hours of discovery+ original content in the first year.

Here’s a peek at just a few (a very few) of some of the fan-favorite genres and their forthcoming exclusive originals:

Lifestyle

• Long Island Medium: There in Spirit: Theresa Caputo has met the challenges that come with her gift of communicating with the departed for decades.  Now, in light of COVID-19 with widespread mourning and isolation, the stakes are even higher as Theresa delivers messages and readings without always leaving her home. This season will feature those who couldn’t say goodbye to their loved ones, and there’s always time for a little Hollywood, with your favorite celebrities receiving virtual readings.

True Crime

• American Detective with Joe Kenda: Lt. Joe Kenda, one of the toughest, most experienced homicide detectives in ID history, is back exclusively on discovery+ with an all-new series. Over the years, Kenda has heard about cases that defy logic – investigations so confounding that they feel more scripted in Hollywood than reality. In American Detective, Kenda trades in his own case files to bring viewers astounding investigations from across the country, with each episode featuring a different homicide detective whose tireless efforts helped put a killer behind bars and bring justice for the victim.
• Onision: In Real Life: Greg Jackson, known to the world as “Onision,” discovered YouTube when the platform was still burgeoning in the digital world. And as the power of YouTube grew, the character “Onision” grew with it. Jackson amassed millions of subscribers across multiple channels, luring in viewers with his off-kilter, opinionated and dark humor. But while his channels were twisted, his real-life might be more sinister. This cutting-edge investigative series explores the mystery, controversy and alleged criminality surrounding Greg Jackson, bringing forward new research and revelations about the man that the YouTube community loves to hate.

Documentaries

• The Parachute Murder Plot: The true story of a master manipulator. When Victoria Cilliers’ parachute failed, she survived against the odds, only to discover the shocking truth. Her own husband had just tried to murder her …for the second time.

Paranormal

• discovery+ is developing content with some of the biggest names in the horror genre, including an exclusive multi-project deal with director Eli Roth (Hostel, Borderlands).

Group Nine Media

• As an extension of Discovery’s partnership with Group Nine, discovery+ will also feature a slate of new original programming from some of the world’s most popular digital brands, including The Dodo, NowThis and Thrillist, in addition to access to some of the company’s existing library.

How much will it cost?

Discovery+ will start at $4.99 a month, but will also have an ad-free plan for $6.99 a month.

Included with some Verizon plans

Discovery and Verizon have signed a landmark distribution agreement that primes discovery+ for wide-scale home and mobile entertainment viewing at launch. Under the partnership, Verizon customers on select plans will enjoy up to 12 months of discovery+ with blazing-fast speeds on 5G Ultra Wideband, 5G Home Internet and Fios.

At launch, new and existing wireless customers with a Play More or Get More Unlimited plan will get 12 months of discovery+ on Verizon. Customers with Start or Do More Unlimited plans will receive 6 months of streaming on Verizon.

New customers who sign up for Verizon 5G Home Internet or Fios Gigabit Connection can receive 12 months of discovery+ on Verizon. New Fios customers may also be eligible for three to six months depending on their plan.

When will it launch?

Discovery+ will debut on January 4, 2021.

Discovery+ trailer

For More Info

Visit https://www.discoveryplus.com/.

Check-In

Whether we like it or not, the world seems to be moving towards individual streaming services. Do you think you’ll sign up for this one?

I’m super curious about the Cecil Hotel, so I may have to break down and subscribe for a month to check out that Ghost Adventures episode. (But I’m hoping discovery+ will offer a free trial period so I can catch it that way.)