Discovery CEO Says New Venture Will Compete Head-To-Head With Netflix, Disney
Discovery CEO David Zaslav has big ideas for his company’s future — and it involves taking two of the industry’s titans head-on.
During his company’s time at this week’s Credit Suisse Communications Conference, Zaslav was asked about adding news content for free versions of streaming apps. Zaslav instead took the opportunity to praise two of his competitors — while letting everyone know where his company stands on news content.
“Look, the two global leaders, Netflix and Disney, they’re very clear about what they are,” Zaslav said. “Each of them has a menu of content, and they have a menu of what they can do. And if we look at Disney and Netflix, that’s the neighborhood we want to live in. That’s who we think we are.”
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
Zaslav credits the early success of (Discovery-owned) GB News, a new U.K.-based news outlet, as a way his company can compete with England’s “Big Two” (BBC News and Sky News), by offering content they won’t.
“Local news, local sports. We started the local sports, and we need to build local news,” Zaslav said. “And how important that is, it’s hard to tell — but it is a differentiator. Local content, local sports, local news against hanging out in the neighborhood where you have two other great players, but they’re not doing exactly what we’re doing. And that’s a good thing.”
Netflix
Netflix is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 3,000+ movies, 2,000+ TV Shows, and Netflix Originals like Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Crown, Tiger King, and Bridgerton. They are constantly adding new shows and movies. Some of their Academy Award-winning exclusives include Roma, Marriage Story, Mank, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Would local news and sports be enough for Warner Bros. Discovery to compete with Netflix and Disney, though? Are they really content on competing with “WandaVision”, “Loki”, “Ozark”, and “The Queen's Gambit” with coverage of local collegiate athletics teams and new store openings downtown? For some, a local spin may be a big selling point, but many others would wonder where the big name shows and movies are.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.
Granted, Warner Bros. Discovery is at no shortage of big-name movies and TV shows, powered by the libraries of both companies. Warner’s HBO, Warner Bros., Discovery, DC Comics, CNN, WB Games, Turner Sports, Cartoon Network, TNT, TBS, TCM, Wizarding World, Adult Swim, Eurosport, combined with Discovery’s wide variety of lifestyle TV shows make for a formidable 1-2 punch that could interest folks from many demographics.