Discovery Inc. is entering the video streaming wars and will launch its own subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service globally in 2020 with the streaming rights of the iconic BBC natural history content like the Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Life and other series that will be exclusive to Discovery's streaming service.
Discovery Inc. and BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC, have signed a 10 year licensing deal for the BBC's natural history and other factual programming content that Discovery will make available on its own video streaming service that it will launch next year globally except for the United Kingdom, Ireland and China.
BBC Studios is giving Discovery the SVOD rights to hundreds of hours of its natural history content, including shows like the recently-launched Dynasties series with Sir David Attenborough.
Discovery and BBC Studios will also be co-funding a dedicated development team at the BBC's production division to create new blue-chip wildlife series.
Discovery will combine the BBC Studios content with its own natural history and factual programming to create it as-yet-unnamed streaming service that will now battle services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Cell C black, Showmax, Disney's upcoming Disney+, Apple's upcoming Apple TV+ and others in the crowded video streaming sphere.
"All of this iconic content will form one of the pillars of a new global streaming service, which will also include some of the best of Discovery's programming library, original content created for the service, and experiences and offerings that go well beyond video," says Discovery in a statement.
"Discovery will be taking that expertise and creating the definitive global streaming product for curious and passionate viewers of all generations who want the most trusted, family friendly storytelling in the world, says David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery.
"From the planets to the poles, and documenting every species in between, the world has always been part of Discovery's DNA. It is who we are."
"Telling these stories is our mission and it is more important now than ever before. The new platform will be the first global direct-to-consumer service with the category's most iconic intellectual property including the Planet Earth series, future sequels and spin-offs to all existing landmark series, and new exclusive natural history and science programming coming in the future."
"There is tremendous value in the marketplace for these programming categories which have broad appeal and strong multi-generational engagement, and we hope to fill the void in the global marketplace for a dedicated high-quality product."
Tony Hall, BBC director-general, says "The BBC makes outstanding natural history and science programmes. They are ground-breaking and demonstrate the quality and depth of our know-how".
"It is vital that we keep investing and growing them for the future. This is our largest ever content sales deal. It will mean BBC Studios and Discovery will work together to take our content right across the globe through a new world-beating streaming service."
"Global subscribers are in for a real treat: the best content on a great new platform. This is brilliant news for audiences as it will enable the BBC to invest even more in factual programming for them."
