Max, discovery+ Begin Adding Programming from MotorTrend; MotorTrend+ Streamer Shutting Down

It was a big weekend for MotorTrend, the automotive-focused channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. WBD announced that beginning on Friday, Feb. 23, episodes of top MotorTrend titles like “Top Gear America” would be moving to Max (in the United States) and discovery+ (in the U.S. and Canada). In addition, the MotorTrend+ streaming service will be shut down in March, when its subscribers will be migrated to discovery+ at a discounted rate.

• Thousands of episodes of MotorTrend shows are now available on Max and discovery+ in the United States.
• MotorTrend+ will shut down in March, and its customers will be moved to discovery+’s ad-free tier at their current subscription rate.
• MotorTrend content will still be available free via the MotorTrend FAST channel, available from multiple partners.

Viewers can now head to either Max or discovery+ to find MotorTrend content, including “Top Gear America,” “Kevin Hart's Muscle Car Crew,” “Hot Rod Garage” and thousands of other episodes spanning top titles from the MotorTrend linear channel.

MotorTrend is a celebration of all things automobile. Fans can watch Bill Carlton and his team build custom wheels for buyers who often bring outlandish demands in “Texas Metal,” see Lucky Costa and friends build brand-new hot rods from scratch in every shape and size imaginable in “Hot Rod Garage,” and enjoy a wide range of related programming on-demand through Max and discovery+.

When is MotorTrend+ Shutting Down?

The main reason WBD is shifting so many of its MotorTrend titles to Max and discovery+ is that its MotorTrend+ streaming service will be shutting down in March. MotorTrend+ houses all of these titles currently, but that platform is now facing the end of the road.

Current MotorTrend+ customers will want to keep an eye on the email address they used to sign up for the streamer. It will give them step-by-step instructions on how to sign up for discovery+ once MotorTrend+ is gone. Viewers of MotorTrend+ will be able to access ad-free streaming on discovery+ for their current $5.99-per-month subscription rate, instead of the $8.99-per-month price that discovery+ normally charges. On discovery+, audiences will also be able to watch programming from Magnolia Network, OWN, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, and more

There was no official word from WBD as to why it was sunsetting MotorTrend+, but the answer is likely due to cost redundancies. WBD announced as part of its fourth-quarter earnings report last week that its streaming services had turned a $103 million profit last year, and as it seeks to build those profits it’s taking stock of which platforms support that goal. MotorTrend+ likely has too small a customer base to justify its maintenance costs, but WBD doesn’t want to simply lose those customers, which is why they’ll be moved to discovery+ without having to pay the full price for ad-free streaming on that service.

Viewers can find MotorTrend content on Max and discovery+ in the United States right now, and free MotorTrend content can be found on the MotorTrend free ad-supported TV (FAST) channel on Samsung TV Plus and other free streaming services. MotorTrend+ customers have just days left to enjoy the service, however, as it will be shut down in March and its viewers moved to discovery+.