YouTube, Discovery draw up on-demand programming partnership
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Joseph O'Halloran
| 11 April 2019

Adding to the services’ growing roster of lifestyle and factual content programming, the YouTube TV live TV and on-demand subscription bundles are to feature TV Discovery’s portfolio of real-life brands.

Under the terms of a multi-year distribution agreement, YouTube TV will launch on 10 April Discovery brands including the Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Travel Channel and MotorTrend. In addition, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, will launch by the end of 2019.

The deal includes individual programmes such as Gold Rush, 90 Day Fiancé, Property Brothers, Chopped, Homicide Hunter, Crikey! It’s the Irwins and The Haves and Have Nots. In addition to the live channels, YouTube TV subscribers can access Discovery content through YouTube TV’s VOD service, DVR with no storage space limits or authenticate to Discovery’s GO platform, with access to the nine networks’ watch apps and entire library of nearly 50,000 on-demand titles.

“We are proud to partner with YouTube to deliver our beloved networks, talent and programming to YouTube TV subscribers,” said Eric Phillips, president of affiliate distribution at Discovery. “This agreement highlights how much viewers love our brands and the high value that passion has in the marketplace, and underscores YouTube TV’s commitment to offering high-quality programming to subscribers.”

“We’re thrilled to add the Discovery channels to YouTube TV, which has been a key ask from our subscribers,” added Lori Conkling, global head of partnerships for YouTube TV. “We launched YouTube TV to showcase the best of live TV through a simple and modern experience. Today’s announcement delivers on that promise as we continue to build a new way to experience your favourite TV shows.”