In a move to apparently counteract the launch of AETN’s Crime & Investigation Network on the Ziggo cable net in The Netherlands, Discovery is turning the Dutch language version of Discovery Travel & Living into Investigation Discovery in the first week of July.
Crime & Investigation Network is launching in The Netherlands on July, 4 with cable operator, Ziggo, marking the debut of the channel in the Benelux. Investigation Discovery is also set to launch that week.
The end of the Discovery Travel & Living channel in the Netherlands comes in the same week as Discovery is launching its female skewed TLC on the the Dutch market. TLC International will be available in the Netherlands on July 4 with full distribution across analogue and digital TV platforms reaching 7 million homes. The 100% coverage is achieved by channel sharing with Animal Planet, which is available across all platforms in the country.
Jochem de Jong, managing director Discovery Networks UK, said in a statement, “Crime & forensic investigation is one of the most popular factual genres for adults in Europe. With Investigation Discovery we introduce a non-fiction crime channel with high quality programmes, which will satisfy the high demand for non-fiction crime entertainment.”
Discovery Channel’s portfolio of seven channels in the Dutch market will consist of Discovery Channel and Animal Planet/TLC in both analogue and digital basic distribution, the HD channels Discovery HD Showcase and Animal Planet HD as well as Discovery World, Discovery Science, and now Investigation Discovery.