Discovery agrees first US pay TV deal for discovery+ with Comcast

Discovery has signed its first US pay TV deal for its streaming service discovery+ with Comcast.

The arrangement will see the SVOD, which launched in the US in January, available on the Xfinity Flex OTT platform and the more traditional X1 set-top box in the coming weeks.

Discovery signed a similar deal with Comcast’s UK business Sky in November 2020, with that deal going further to give customers 12 months access to the streamer for free. Xfinity customers will still have to pay US$4.99 per month for the ad-supported offering or US$9.99 per month for the ad-free tier.

discovery+ offers access to more than 55,000 episodes from Discovery’s portfolio of networks, including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and the forthcoming Magnolia Network, along with non-fiction content from A&E, The HISTORY Channel and Lifetime.

Gabriel Sauerhoff, SVP, Digital Distribution and Commercial Partnerships at Discovery, Inc, said: “As the definitive streaming destination for real-life storytelling, discovery+ serves fans with an unparalleled entertainment experience and a truly differentiated offering. We are thrilled to expand our relationship with our valued partner Comcast to provide their customers with direct and easy access to discovery+ and other applications across their industry-leading entertainment platforms – Xfinity Flex, and soon X1.”

Rebecca Heap, SVP, Video and Entertainment, Comcast Cable, said: “The launch of discovery+ on Xfinity Flex, and very soon on X1, gives our customers access to more of the best entertainment from one of the newest streaming services on the market. Whether a super fan or new to their content, X1 and Flex make it easy for customers to enjoy all the great programming discovery+ has available.”

The companies also announced that they will bring direct-to-consumer apps Food Network Kitchen and MotorTrend to the X1 platform.

Elsewhere, Discovery announced that it had delivered its strongest ever Q1 in the UK with its tenth consecutive year of growth.