Discovery said its Discovery+ streaming services, which made its debut in the UK and Ireland last month, will launch in the US on 4 January. The ad-supported service will cost USD 4.99 per month while the ad-free tier will be priced at USD 6.99 per month. The service will also get further deployed around the world, to an initial 25 countries. It has already been rolled out in India and will move next year to the Nordics, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. The streaming channel will also get introduced in in Latin American markets, including a planned launch in Brazil, and in parts of Asia.

Landmark deal with Verizon

In the US, Verizon customers will be able to enjoy the service free for up to 12 months, depending on their plan, following the signing of a new partnership with Discovery. The deal will be open to new and existing customers with select plans. Specifically, customers on Play More or Get More Unlimited plan will get 12-months worth of the channel free, while those on Start or Do More Unlimited plans will receive 6 months. New customers who sign up for Verizon 5G Home Internet or Fios Gigabit Connection will also get 12 months; other new Fios customers will be be eligible for 3-6 months depending on their plan.

Discovery+ has in addition signed a number of ad deals in the US. Inaugural advertising partners include Boston Beer Company, Kraft Heinz, Lowe’s and Toyota, with more partners to be announced soon. The idea is to provide a data -driven advertising experience.

Discovery CEO David Zaslav said the company has been working two years on the launch and that it will have the largest content library at launch, as well as a broad slate of exclusive programming.

Shows to include over 1,000 hours of original content, plus Olympics in Europe

Discovery specialises in documentaries and in lifestyle and relationships programmes, as well as content around home and food; true crime; paranormal; adventure and natural history; and science, tech and the environment, and a slate of high-quality documentaries. It will host over over 1,000 hours of original content in its first year.

In the US, Discovery+ will show over 55,000 episodes, with over 2,500 current and classic shows from its portfolio of networks, including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. Viewers in the US will also gain access to new series from franchises and personalities such as Chip and Joanna Gaines; Will Packer and Kevin Hart; 90 Day Fiance; Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis; Duff Goldman; Amy Schumer; Carla Hall; David Schwimmer; Sir David Attenborough; Ben Napier; Sebastian Maniscalco; Joe Kenda; Mike Rowe and others.

In the European markets set for launch in 2021, the service will be supported by Eurosport’s multi-sport offering, including tennis Grand Slams, cycling Grand Tours, motorsport, football and winter sports. The channel will also become the streaming Home of the Olympics in Europe, for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Olympic rights exclude Russia. For France and the UK, Eurosport will be an Official Broadcaster.

Also, as part of another new content partnership, the streaming channel will bring together for the first time non-fiction content from A&E, The History Channel and Lifetime with the Discovery brand portfolio.

There will also be nature and environmental programming, headlined by exclusive streaming access to the BBC’s natural history offering, including The Mating Game; Planet Earth; and ; Blue Planet; plus content from digital-first brand The Dodo.

The channel will in addition feature special content partnerships with environmental organisations from around the world, including The Explorers Club, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), The Nature Conservancy (a US-based global conservation organization), Oceana and World Wildlife Fund.

At launch, Discovery+ will be available across major platforms, including connected TVs, web, mobile and tablets.