 | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | 230 Park Avenue South New York City[1] |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) |
|
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to 480i letterbox for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Warner Bros. Discovery |
| Parent | Warner Bros. Discovery Networks |
| Sister channels | Sister channels |
| History | |
| Launched | June 17, 1985[2] |
| Former names | The Discovery Channel (1985–1995) |
| Links | |
| Website | TBA |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Affiliated streaming services |
|
| Services | FuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Philo, Hulu + Live TV |
Discovery Channel, known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery, is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. As of June 2012[update], Discovery Channel was the third most widely distributed subscription channel in the United States, behind now-sibling channel TBS and The Weather Channel;[3] it is available in 409 million households worldwide, through its U.S. flagship channel and its various owned or licensed television channels internationally.[4]
It initially provided documentary television programming focused primarily on popular science, technology, and history, but by the 2010s had expanded into reality television and pseudo-scientific entertainment.[5][6][7]
As of November 2023[update], Discovery Channel is available to approximately 71,000,000 pay television households in the United States-down from its peak of 99,000,000 in 2011.[8]
History[]
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On January 4, 2006, Discovery Communications announced anchor Ted Koppel, executive producer Tom Bettag and eight other former staff members from the ABC newsmagazine Nightline were joining Discovery Channel. The network was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards that year for shows including The Flight that Fought Back (a documentary about the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93 during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001) and Deadliest Catch (a reality series about a group of seafood fishermen).
In 2007, Discovery Channel's top series included the Emmy Award– and Peabody Award–winning Planet Earth, Dirty Jobs, MythBusters, and Deadliest Catch. Discovery Channel's 2008 lineup included Fight Quest and Smash Lab.[9]
On September 1, 2010, 43-year-old James Jay Lee entered the Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, armed with a handgun. Lee fired at least one shot and held several employees hostage; he was later shot dead by police.[10][11] Lee had published criticisms of the network at Savetheplanetprotest.com.[11]
In December 2015, Discovery Communications launched its TV Everywhere service, Discovery Go, which features live and video-on-demand content from Discovery Channel and eight of its sister networks.[12]
Programming[]
- Main article: List of Discovery Channel original programming
Programming on the flagship Discovery Channel in the U.S. is primarily focused on reality television series, such as speculative investigation (with shows such as MythBusters, Unsolved History, and Best Evidence), automobiles, and occupations (such as Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch). A popular annual feature on the channel is Shark Week, which airs on Discovery during the summer months.[13]
Discovery has also featured documentaries specifically aimed at families and younger audiences. Other popular programs have included How It's Made, Cash Cab, and Man vs. Wild.
Non-television ventures[]
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Marketing and branding[]
The logo of Discovery Channel from 1987 to 1995.
The Discovery Channel's first logo was a television screen picturing a map of the world. For two decades, starting in 1987, the channel's logo incorporated the Discovery wordmark rendered in the Aurora Bold Condensed font with a circular shape in front of it. The circle usually took the form of a rising sun, or an animated version of the Vitruvian Man. Discovery Channel's previous slogans had been "Explore Your World" and "There's No Thrill Like Discovery." Keeping with its changing focus away from strictly educational programming toward reality TV, the slogan was changed in the early 2000s to "Entertain Your Brain".[14]
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Related and international units[]
Related channel[]
Discovery en Español[]
| File:Discovery en Español (2020).svg | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Miami, Florida, United States |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | Spanish |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Warner Bros. Discovery |
| Parent | Warner Bros. Discovery Networks |
| History | |
| Launched | 1998 |
| Links | |
| Website | TBA |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Fubo TV | [TBA Live Stream] |
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Discovery en Español is an American pay television channel that was launched as the Spanish-language version of the Discovery Channel. It is operated by the Latin American division of Warner Bros. Discovery International in Miami, Florida.
As of February 2015,[update] approximately 6,476,000 American households (5.6% of households with television) receive Discovery en Español.[15]
International[]
Discovery Channel reaches 431 million homes in 170 countries. Discovery Communications currently offers 29 network brands in 33 languages. In a number of countries, Discovery's channels are available on digital satellite platforms with multiple language soundtracks or subtitles including Spanish, German, Russian, Czech, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Turkish, Greek, Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Arabic, Slovene, Japanese, Korean and Serbian. In 2011, a separate Tamil-language channel was launched. In Bulgaria, Discovery has, since 2000–2001, displayed Bulgarian subtitles by all cable providers and since 2010 – with Bulgarian dubbing for some shows.
Australia and New Zealand[]
- Main article: Discovery Channel (Australia and New Zealand)
In Australia, the Discovery Channel is part of a six-channel package (not including timeshifts) on digital subscription television, available on Foxtel, Optus TV and AUSTAR.
In New Zealand, the Australian version of Discovery is broadcast on SKY Network Television.
Canada[]
- Main article: Discovery (Canada)
The Canadian version of Discovery was established in 1995, and is currently owned by a joint venture between Bell Media (via the subsidiary CTV Specialty Television; ESPN Inc. is a minority partner in this subsidiary due its ties to sports channel TSN) and Discovery Inc.
The channel airs similar programming to its U.S. counterpart, but also airs domestically produced programs to comply with local broadcasting regulations (which, in the past, included the daily science newsmagazine Daily Planet cancelled in 2018). Some of its original series (such as, most prominently, How It's Made) have been picked up in the U.S. by Discovery's sister networks (such as Science Channel), but others have not necessarily aired on Discovery's networks. Since 2018, the channel has increasingly aired blocks of fiction programming with science- or technology-oriented themes.
India[]
- Main article: Discovery Channel (India)
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Europe[]
- Main article: Discovery Channel Europe
In the United Kingdom, Discovery Channel UK airs some common programs as the U.S. version, including MythBusters, American Chopper, How It's Made and Deadliest Catch. The channel is carried as a basic subscription channel on the SKYdigital satellite service and digital cable provider Virgin Media. Discovery UK also operates Discovery HD, Discovery Knowledge, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Science, Animal Planet, DMAX, Discovery Real Time, Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Travel & Leisure and Discovery Shed. Many of these channels also have timeshifted versions. In the Republic of Ireland, the UK version of Discovery Channel is available on most cable providers in that country, but with local advertisements.
In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Discovery Channel is part of the Premiere digital network and supplies specific programs to other networks like ZDF and kabel eins. Discovery Communications is also owner of the documentary-channel XXP. The channel was bought in the spring of 2006 from its former shareholders Spiegel TV and "dctp". All programs are dubbed into German. The channel is now known as "DMAX", presumably to associate the channel with Discovery.
In the Netherlands, the Discovery Channel is included on most cable, IPTV and DVB-T providers. Nearly all of the programs are broadcast in their original language, but they are subtitled in Dutch as is the policy of all Dutch television stations. Some programs and most promotions and program announcements have a Dutch voice-over. In Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, a Flemish Discovery Channel launched (previously the Dutch version was available for IPTV, DVB-C and DVB-S) on cable (and digital) television on October 1, 2009.
In Italy, the Discovery Channel (and HD) is distributed via satellite by Sky Italia as part of the documentary pack. In addition, Italy has four Discovery-branded channels: Discovery Science, Discovery Real Time, Discovery Animal Planet and Discovery Travel and Living.
In Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Slovenia, Discovery Channel is carried by most cable television and IPTV providers with all the content subtitled in the respective languages. Additionally, it is also available on digital satellite platforms in Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia (sometimes requiring an additional fee). In Poland, nc+ broadcasts the programs dubbed in Polish and in original English. A few other channels from Discovery are also in offer, like Discovery Historia, launched in cooperation with Polish broadcaster TVN, which later ended.
In Spain, the channel shares a schedule and programs with Portugal and is available on most satellite and cable platforms, making it possible to broadcast both in Spanish and Portuguese. In Spain, all programs are dubbed; whereas in Portugal, most of them are subtitled. In addition, Portugal has three Discovery-branded channels: Discovery Turbo (focusing on motorsports), Discovery Science (focusing on science and technology) and Discovery Civilization (focusing on historical events). These channels follow the same model as the original Discovery Channel, except for the absence of advertising. Spanish advertisements are broadcast on the Portuguese feed, non-subtitled or dubbed.
Southeast Asia[]
- Main article: Discovery Channel (Southeast Asia)
In South East Asia, Discovery Channel is available on digital subscription television. Discovery Channel Asia still shows crime programs (such as Most Evil and The FBI Files). Many programs feature development and society in Asian countries, especially in India and China. Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have other channels branched from the main Discovery Channel, including Discovery Turbo, Discovery Science, Discovery Home & Health and Discovery Travel & Living.
The Philippines has its own semifeed derived from the Southeast Asian channel, in which offers regional variations with local advertisements during the commercial breaks.
South Africa[]
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Controversies[]
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See also[]
- Discovery Kids
- Discovery Times Square Exposition
- List of documentary channels
References[]
- ↑ [TBA Discovery Selects 230 Park Avenue South As New Global Headquarters].
- ↑ [TBA The 59th Academy Awards (1987) Nominees and Winners]. oscars.org.
- ↑ Seidman, Robert (August 23, 2013). [TBA List of How Many Homes Each Cable Networks Is In – Cable Network Coverage Estimates As Of August 2013]. TV by the Numbers.
- ↑ [TBA DCI :: Businesses & Brands :: Discovery Channel].
- ↑ [TBA Discovery's 'Shark Week' Criticized for Silliness, Pseudoscience and Lies] (August 19, 2014).
- ↑ [TBA Wil Wheaton Says Discovery Channel Has 'Betrayed Its Audience'] (August 6, 2013).
- ↑ [TBA The sad devolution of Discovery Channel] (August 15, 2014).
- ↑ [TBA U.S. cable network households (universe), 1990 – 2023] (May 14, 2024).
- ↑ [TBA 67th Annual Peabody Awards] (Template:Webarchive), May 2008.
- ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.[TBA "Armed Man With Bomb Takes at Least One Hostage in Discovery Channel Building"] Check
|url=value (help). Fox News Channel. September 1, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2010. Check|archive-url=value (help) - ↑ 11.0 11.1 Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.[TBA "Suspect in Maryland hostage situation published angry online manifesto"] Check
|url=value (help). CNN. September 1, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2010. Check|archive-url=value (help) - ↑ [TBA Discovery Bows TV Everywhere App].
- ↑ [TBA MediaPost Publications – Discovery Rebrands, Upgrades Marketing Efforts – 07/24/2007] Template:Dead link
- ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Shin, Annys (June 17, 2004). [TBA "Discovery Channel Hopes TV Ads Find Their Target"] Check
|url=value (help). The Washington Post. - ↑ Seidman, Robert (February 22, 2015). [TBA List of how many homes each cable network is in as of February 2015]. TV by the Numbers. Zap2it.
External links[]
- Template:Commons-inline
Template:Warner Bros. Discovery NetworksTemplate:Warner Bros. Discovery Template:Webby Awards