The BBC and Discovery Channel Partner Up for New Platform and Shows

The BBC and Discovery Channel recently partnered up to stream shows in a new platform. Last March, Discovery Channel bought rights to broadcast the BBC’s content and develop new shows in a highly expensive deal. The contract, which is set to last for 10 years, is worth $392 million. Through this agreement, Discovery gains the authority to air the BBC’s natural history documentaries. BBC Director General Tony Hall said that this is the biggest content deal BBC has ever made and that he believes it will still be of good value in 10 years. The networks, whose businesses currently focus on television, aim to offer viewers a different experience through a video streaming platform. The platform will have a library of premium documentary shows, such as Planet Earth and Blue Planet. Through a subscription of under $5, viewers can access selected documentaries from the BBC and new shows from other genres, such as science and travel. When asked how this new platform differs from existing and upcoming similar services, such as Netflix and Disney+, Discovery’s CEO and president, David Zaslav, said that those competitors mostly focus on fictional content; the BBC and Discovery’s content will focus on facts. BBC’s director general also highlighted that the shows in this platform will increase viewers’ environmental awareness. Zaslav explained that the platform will offer more than just video streaming services. It will have podcasts to complement the videos, and there will also be an opportunity for viewers to interact with the creators of the shows.