What discovery+ does

discovery+ is a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service launched in January 2021 and operated by Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) through its subsidiary Discovery Digital Ventures, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. The platform aggregates over 70,000 episodes of real-life, lifestyle, factual, and reality programming from Discovery's portfolio of cable network brands — including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Magnolia Network, OWN, and CNN originals — alongside discovery+ exclusive originals such as Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, Love Off the Grid, and Selling the Hamptons. Flagship franchises include Home Town, Gold Rush, 90 Day Fiance, 1000-lb Sisters, and Deadliest Catch.

The service operates on a direct-to-consumer model with two monthly subscription tiers: a $5.99/month ad-supported tier and a $9.99/month ad-free tier (which includes up to 100 offline downloads on iOS and Android). The technology stack supports adaptive bitrate streaming in full HD on up to four devices simultaneously, with distribution across virtually all major streaming platforms (Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google/Android including Chromecast, Roku, Samsung, VIZIO, LG, Xbox). The platform is available in 12+ countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, India, and across much of Europe and the Middle East, with additional markets being added.

Revenue is generated through subscription recurring revenue across both tiers plus advertising revenue from the ad-supported tier, with the parent noting the platform maintains a relatively low 5-7 minute per-hour ad load versus competitors. In April 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery was formed through the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc., placing discovery+ alongside HBO Max within the corporate portfolio; the service is now subject to a $111 billion acquisition by Paramount that is expected to combine it with Paramount+, CBS, and HBO Max into a streaming entity serving up to 200 million global subscribers.

Name

discovery+

Legal name

Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

Website

https://discoveryplus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

discovery+ is a direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service offering over 70,000 episodes of real-life, lifestyle, factual, and reality programming from brands such as HGTV, Food Network, TLC, and Discovery Channel, operated by Warner Bros. Discovery and available across 12+ countries on most major streaming devices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Subscription Video Streaming

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Video & Channel Discovery Aggregators (MPACAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Topic/Interest-Based Content Discovery Apps (MPACAKAB)

Keywords

• Subscription video streaming
• Real-life entertainment
• Reality television
• Ad-supported streaming
• Lifestyle content

Headquarters

HQ city

West New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Subscription Video-on-Demand (Ad-Supported): Monthly subscription streaming with limited advertisements. Includes access to over 70,000 episodes across all discovery+ brands including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Magnolia Network, OWN, and CNN originals. Supports streaming on up to four devices in full HD.
2. Subscription Video-on-Demand (Ad-Free): Premium monthly subscription without advertisements, including all discovery+ content plus 100 downloads for offline viewing on mobile devices.
3. Advertising Revenue: discovery+ generates advertising revenue from its ad-supported tier. The platform maintains a relatively low ad load of 5-7 minutes per hour compared to competitors, positioning itself as a consumer-friendly ad experience within the streaming industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

discovery+ is a direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service offering unlimited access to more than 70,000 episodes of real-life entertainment, lifestyle, factual, true crime, and sports programming from Discovery, partner brands, and CNN. The service is sold via two monthly subscription tiers: an ad-supported plan at $5.99/month and an ad-free plan at $9.99/month with offline mobile downloads. Content is drawn from Warner Bros. Discovery-owned network brands including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Magnolia Network, and OWN, alongside discovery+ Originals.

Product overview

discovery+ is a unified streaming platform offering two subscription tiers: an ad-supported tier at $5.99/month and an ad-free tier at $9.99/month with offline downloads. The service aggregates content from multiple channel brands under Warner Bros. Discovery including Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Magnolia Network, and OWN. The platform features discovery+ Originals exclusive programming alongside CNN films and series, totaling over 70,000 episodes. Key show franchises include Home Town, Gold Rush, 90 Day Fiance, 1000-lb Sisters, and Deadliest Catch. The platform is available on multiple devices including mobile, tablet, computer, and connected TVs (Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Google, Roku, Samsung, VIZIO, LG, Xbox).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• discovery+ (Ad-Supported) Monthly streaming subscription tier at $5.99/month with limited advertisements, providing unlimited access to over 70,000 episodes of real-life entertainment, originals, and exclusives from HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Magnolia Network, OWN, and CNN originals. Streams in full HD on up to four devices simultaneously.
• discovery+ (Ad-Free) Premium monthly streaming subscription tier at $9.99/month without advertisements, providing unlimited access to all discovery+ content plus up to 100 offline downloads for mobile viewing on iOS and Android devices. Streams in full HD on up to four devices simultaneously.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rogers Sports & MediacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Rogers Sports & Media greenlit Deadliest Catch: Northern Edge, a new Canadian original series and first international adaptation of the Deadliest Catch franchise. Produced by Attraction and Fremantle's Original Productions in association with Discovery US, scheduled to premiere Winter 2027 on Discovery in Canada.
• Phantasticus PicturesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2026International release partnership for 'Vantara: Sanctuary Stories,' a six-part wildlife docuseries premiering across Discovery's international platforms. The series showcases Vantara wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, India, home to over one million animals and founded by Anant Ambani.
• Hainan Broadcasting StationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2026Co-production partnership with Hainan Broadcasting Station and Hainan Dianguang Media Film Co., Ltd. for the documentary series 'Slow Road to Hainan,' an 8-episode series following guests exploring Hainan Island, China. Premiered internationally on Discovery from March 15 to April 5, 2026.
• TNT SportscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 February 2025TNT Sports and Discovery+ partnership to broadcast all rounds of the 2025 MotoGP, WorldSBK, and BSB championships in the UK and Ireland. The coverage includes dedicated social media channels and a team of pundits, establishing TNT Sports as the primary destination for motorcycle content in the region.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hulu: Hulu is a US-focused SVOD offering ad-supported and ad-free tiers at similar price points to discovery+, with a comparable mix of network content, originals, and reality programming. Hulu frequently bundles with Disney+ and competes for the same general-entertainment subscriber.
• Peacock: Peacock is NBCUniversal's ad-supported and ad-free SVOD service, competing head-to-head with discovery+ for budget-conscious streaming subscribers in the US, particularly for unscripted and reality content. Both launched ad-supported tiers to capture cord-cutters.
• Disney+: Disney+ is a flagship SVOD competitor offering bundled access to Disney, Hulu, and ESPN content at price points comparable to discovery+. Both target direct-to-consumer subscribers across smart TV, mobile, and web platforms with similar device and feature parity.
• Paramount+: Paramount+ is a direct SVOD competitor and is being merged into the same parent entity as discovery+ under the announced $111B Paramount-WBD deal. Both services are positioned in the 'broad entertainment' tier alongside Netflix/Disney+, with overlapping sports and lifestyle content.
• Netflix: Netflix is the leading global SVOD service and the primary direct competitor to discovery+, competing for the same pool of paying streaming subscribers with a broader but distinct content library spanning originals, licensed films and series, and documentaries.
• Max: Max (formerly HBO Max) is the sister SVOD service within the same Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio as discovery+, sharing content pipelines, app infrastructure, and the same parent company. They compete directly for premium streaming subscribers and may be bundled or merged under the announced Paramount-WBD transaction.
• Apple TV+: Apple TV+ is a premium SVOD service offered as a value-add within the Apple ecosystem. While positioned higher in price/quality, it competes for the same streaming subscribers and overlaps with discovery+ on documentary content such as nature and travel programming.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Prime Video: Prime Video is bundled within Amazon Prime and offers one of the largest SVOD libraries globally, including originals, licensed films, and live sports. Its scale, bundling, and ad-supported tier make it one of the broadest competitive forces discovery+ faces for subscriber wallet share.

Emerging players

• Pluto TV: Pluto TV is a free, ad-supported streaming and FAST channel service owned by Paramount. It targets similar cord-cutter demographics as discovery+'s ad-supported tier with linear-style channels featuring lifestyle, true crime, and reality content.
• Tubi: Tubi is a leading free, ad-supported streaming service (FAST) owned by Fox. It competes with discovery+'s ad-supported tier on price (free vs. $5.99/mo), particularly for unscripted, lifestyle, and reality content targeted at value-conscious and over-55 demographics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about discovery+