Discovery Communications’ takeover of US cable rival Scripps Networks Interactive is drawing near after shareholders agreed to the deal. The US$14.6 billion deal brings networks such as Discovery Channel and Animal Planet together with the Food Network and HGTV. Discovery’s shareholder overwhelmingly voted in favour of the agreement, with more than 258 million for and […]
Discovery Channel, Discovery Communication’s premium pay TV brand, is set to become available on Amazon Channels in Germany and Austria. The launch of Discovery Channel on the service extends the partnership between Amazon and Discovery, which launched Eurosport Player on Amazon Channels earlier this year. Amazon customers with an active Prime membership in Germany and […]
Discovery Communications has appointed former Spotify executive Francis Keeling to lead its digital strategy. Keeling becomes senior vice-president of international digital, based in London. He will develop new digital products and his appointment marks one of a number of new digital hires by Discovery. Jay Trinidad, who is currently running Discovery Northern Asia, takes on […]
Discovery Communications has entered into a deal with Facebook to create a slate of original shows for the social media giant’s new video service. The deal will see Discovery develop“premium mid-form shows” for Facebook Watch. Some will be based on existing Discovery franchises and other exclusive to Facebook. The first is Celebrity Animal Encounters, which […]
Eurosport Player is joining the Amazon Channels line-up in Germany and Austria, in a move that brings live sports – including Bundesliga football – to the platform. Eurosport’s parent company, Discovery Communications, agreed the deal with Amazon, building on an existing partnership that has already seen both Eurosport Player and Discovery launch on Amazon Channels […]
Discovery Communications has led a US$10 million (€8.5 million) Series A funding round raised by virtual reality content studio Here Be Dragons. The deal values Here Be Dragons at US$55 million and sees senior vice-president of emerging platforms and partnerships at Discovery, Rebecca Howard, join the company board. Here Be Dragons said it will use […]
Scripps Networks Interactive-owned Polish broadcaster TVN has sold tele-shopping channel Mango-Media to retail and e-commerce group Studio Moderna Polska. TVN said that the deal means that both companies will benefit from economies of scale and new business opportunities. The sale has already been approved by the Polish competition watchdog. Mango-Media is the leading tele-shopping channel […]
ProSiebenSat.1 could launch one or more new thematic channels in partnership with Scripps Networks Interactive, building on the big programming deal it struck with the US channel provider earlier this year. Under the deal struck between the pair in February, Scripps is supplying 1,200 hours of programming to the German broadcaster’s channels. Speaking to analysts […]
Discovery has struck a deal with TEN: The Enthusiast Network to create a consolidated joint venture combining the pair’s motorsports channels and media assets in the US. The JV will combine Discovery’s Velocity channel with TEN’s MotorTrend.com, Motor Trend YouTube channel, the Motor Trend OnDemand OTT service and other assets. According to Discovery, the combination […]
Polish politicians from the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party are mulling changes in the country’s media rules that could restrict foreign ownership of media assets to as little as 15%, according to local reports. The PiS government plans to introduce new legislation covering concentration of media ownership in the autumn. According to leading daily […]
