Discovery+ Brings the Unscripted "Colossus" to Streaming

It also thrusts Discovery into a crowded and competitive arena While discovery follows recent highprofile launches of Disney NBC Universal39s Peacock and WarnerMedia39s HBO Max Chief US Advertising Sales Officer Jon Steinlauf said discovery stands apart for its strategy substance and what it can offer brandsquotAs a content company we39re entering the streaming space with a different approachquot Steinlauf explained quotNo matter where you look in reallife entertainment unscripted or lifestyle genres that39s where we show up and that39s where we39re going to make our point of differentiationquotThe service will launch in 25 countries with almost 60000 episodes from more than 2500 shows from Discovery39s portfolio of lifestyle brands including Discovery Channel TLC Animal Planet HGTV Food Network and moreTo further entice subscribers it will feature exclusive original programming not available on Discovery39s linear networks or the Discovery GO TV everywhere apps Also thanks to a partnership with AE Networks additional nonscripted content from AampampE History Channel and Lifetime series will be included Altogether the deep lineup of content is significantly more robust than other streaming services and sets discovery apart Steinlauf notedDiscovery will be available on two tiers an adsupported plan with a light commercial load for 499 per month or adfree for 699 per month The adsupported tier will run about five minutes of commercials per hour with a countdown clock a significantly lighter ad load than most linear TV networks Verizon customers with select plans will receive up to a year of discovery on their qualifying devicesFinding the quotcord cuttersquot and female streaming audiencesDiscovery is entering the streaming space at an inflection point According to Nielsen 19 percent of all TV viewing is now on streaming platforms and 47 of consumers between ages 1834 are already using three or more servicesWhere cable services used to be the norm the growing numbers of quotcord cuttersquot or former pay TV customers are cancelling their service in favor of select streaming plans This year eMarketercom estimates that six million US households will cut out their pay TV plans bringing the number of cord cutters to 312 million households By 2024 that figure is expected to hit 466 million householdsAdvertisers are turning to streaming to find these missing viewers For brands discovery is a way to reach Discovery39s loyal femaleskewing audience on a new platform Steinlauf said he expects the streaming audience will lean female and skew younger than its linear audiences quotBesides being great brands what Discovery is more than anything else is a female powerhousequot he saidAdditionally Steinlauf said discovery gives marketers a muchneeded destination for their streaming dollars Several popular services such as Netflix and Amazon39s Prime Video don39t run any commercials which limits marketers39 choices Now they can buy Discovery39s timetested popular lifestyle and nonscripted content in the streaming universeThe launch comes at a good time for Discovery While its networks have always been among cable39s top performers since last spring they39ve provided comfort food for viewers particularly TLC HGTV and Food Network and a brandsafe haven for advertisers across categories including home food pet auto retail and ecommerceNow on discovery viewers can watch every episode of fan favorites like Home Town Diners DriveIns and Dives or Deadliest Catch and explore thousands of series they39ve never watched Thanks to the platform39s algorithms users will receive suggestions for other series they might like which can boost sampling and binge watching Steinlauf noted quotWe have longrunning iconic shows with deep librariesquot he said quotViewers are going to find passion points with content that might be 10 or 15 years old Streaming creates so many opportunities for people to discover our contentquotDiscovery can offer its full catalogue because it owns the copyrights distribution and IP to all of its content Very little Discovery fare has gone into syndication meaning viewers can only find their favorites on Discoveryowned platformsBringing advertising innovations to streamingDiscovery will debut with five launch sponsors Pepsi Co Toyota Kraft Heinz Lowe39s and Boston Beer Additionally another 20 to 30 advertisers purchased inventory during the Upfront These advertisers are attracted to the lighter commercial load and the opportunity to associate with Discovery39s marquee brands on a new platform Steinlauf saidTo help them connect with engaged consumers discovery is pioneering several new ad technologies One such capability is contextual search where anytime a keyword is mentioned in an episode discovery can serve up relevant ads to that viewer So if Jonathan or Drew Scott of HGTV39s wildly popular renovation show Property Brothers say quotbedroom furniturequot or quotmattressquot Discovery39s ad tech kicks into gear and can insert ad spots from a mattress retailer or a furniture storeAnother solution utilizes voice technology to deepen brand engagement For example if a viewer sees an ad or graphic for a brand and wants more information they can ask their voice remote to access promotions bonus content or links to commerce Where shows and brands align Discovery could also create virtual shopping bagsAnd there39s more To take advantage of binge watching discovery will let marketers quottake overquot episodes as a presenting sponsor Here39s how it works If a consumer watches three episodes of a show within a certain time frame Discovery will deliver a fourth episode commercial free with messaging from a presenting sponsorBy combining Discovery39s streaming service linear networks and the mobile app Steinlauf said marketers can maximize their ad spend and cover all their bases quotThe thing that advertisers talk to us about the most is needing unique reachquot he saidquotAll three of our services have different ad loads and viewership but when you combine all three you extend your reachquotPlus Steinlauf added quotWe have this colossus of media brands that are clear clean verticals without any real natural predatorquotClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNetamp160

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Discovery+ Brings the Unscripted "Colossus" to Streaming

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Alli Romano

"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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