Networks portfolio subscribers declined 5% while subscribers to our fully distributed networks declined 3%. In its annual report, the company said, “In 2020, total U.S. In its first-quarter report, filed April 29, 2021, Discovery said the number of people paying to watch on cable dropped: “Total subscribers to our linear networks at March 31, 2021 were 4% lower than at March 31, 2020, while subscribers to our fully distributed linear networks were 2% lower than the prior year.” The creation of Discovery+ and these shifts are all happening in part because people are fleeing from cable. The show’s star, Robert Irvine, didn’t seem happy, tweeting an apology and saying he was passing along “all these comments to the network.” As I reported back then, Restaurant: Impossible was not among the “exclusive original series” that Discovery+ had announced in December. But only one episode aired on cable TV, as Discovery moved the show to its new streaming service, Discovery+. I first became aware of this when, early this year, Food Network’s long-running business makeover reality show Restaurant: Impossible premiered its 18th season. The Internet has been referring to this as Discovery Plus stealing shows, which explains how people feel about it: It feels like theft to have paid for cable, and now find reality shows they’ve paid for taken away, and held for ransom, to extend the metaphor further. The moves have provoked a lot of anger and resentment see the extensive comments here for just a few examples. The moves are happening so frequently that some networks’ websites even have a generic page saying “This show is now streaming on discovery+”: TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel. TV shows that have moved from Discovery’s cable channels-Food Network, HGTV, TLC, ID, Travel Channel, Science Channel, OWN, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, and Discovery Channel-to its new pay streaming service Discovery+ include new episodes of Food Network’s classic Alton Brown series Good Eats and Restaurant: Impossible Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, The Dead Files, and Portals to Hell Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch: Bloodline and Animal Planet’s Crikey! It’s the Irwins. It’s a great question-and one that Discovery’s CEO was asked recently when the company announced its first-quarter earnings. Okay…now explain the WTF’ry that goes along with Discovery+ and the fact that many of their “exclusives” are now available on demand for free? I don’t understand why these networks think they are worth paying for just to jerk people around. ![]() After I answered a question about why Paramount+ did not have all seasons of The Challenge and Real World, I received this follow-up on social media about Discovery Plus, and how shows keep moving from cable networks to the pay streaming service and back again:
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