Discovery has become the latest broadcaster to launch its own dedicated content app. Discovery Go marks a break from previous such apps in so far it represents a suite of entertainment and documentary channels, rather than movies and sports, as seen through HBO and ESPN or the news channels of ABC, NBC and CNN.
Nine US networks will feature on Discovery Go – available initially only in the United States – Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Science Channel, Velocity, Destination America, American Heroes Channel and Discovery Life.
Discovery Go will make its debut Wednesday with Racing Extinction, a documentary chronicling the plight of the world’s most endangered species, itself available in 220 markets worldwide.
“The launch of Discovery Go represents an important first step in providing viewers with access to our award-winning content anytime, anywhere on practically any device,” said Paul Guyardo, CCO, Discovery Communications.
“This aggregated TVE streaming service and strong user experience is made possible by Discovery’s 30-year commitment to content ownership and our global learnings in the space, and also serves as an important promotional platform to complement and support our TV brands. We look forward to giving pay-TV customers more of what they want in Discovery Go.”
Programmes will be divided into 14 genres; viewers will also be able to create their own playlists from the nine featured networks.
Apps will initially be available for iOS and Android. However, Discovery is not completely breaking from the patforms that have supported it over the last 30 years. Users will need to obtain so-called MVPD provider credentials from their operator in order to enjoy the full feature set.
