Come January 2021, we’ll be adding Discovery to the list of media companies with their own streaming services. According to CNBC, the company’s upcoming service, aptly titled, Discovery+ will, launch with two tiers—a $4.99 ad-supported tier, as well as a $6.99 ad-free tier.
The pricing is on par with other streaming services. NBCUniversal’s Peacock premium tier with ads also costs $4.99, while Disney+ matches with the $6.99 price tag. Both prices still come well below HBO Max, and Netflix which costs $14.99 and $13.99 a month. (Netflix raised their prices in October.)
Like Disney+, Discovery will also be offering a free year of their streaming service to qualifying Verizon customers. Terms of that deal will most likely be revealed later on today when the company makes their official introduction of the service.
For over a year, Discovery has hinted that a global streaming service is coming. They confirmed that they would be launching their own streamer back in August, however, they have remained tight-lipped on the timing ever since.
In September, CEO David Zaslav divulged a bit of information regarding the company’s strategy with the new service. According to Zaslav, Discovery has been eyeing Disney’s global expansion and they plan on launching their service as a global offering as well.
“Disney has done it. They’re starting to roll out globally and it’s quite impressive. One of the things that Bob [Iger] has done, I think, very successfully is when you look at Disney+ from a curation perspective, you see a group of superfans, whether it’s the Disney Kids product, Pixar, Star Wars, or Marvel people look at that and they go, ‘That’s what I love…’” he stated. “Outside the U.S., we have entertainment, local entertainment, local content, local sports. So I think we have a very differentiated global approach, but we think you need to have a lot of content, [and show] why people will love you and why they’ll need you.”