A Quarterly Publication of Discovery Communications
100 million
Volume 7, Number 4, February 2015
60 million
INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL
SUBSCRIBERS
SUBSCRIBERS
DISCOVERY’S NEXT
GLOBAL BRAND POWERHOUSES:
ID AND TURBO TAKE OFF
03
05
10
Discovery Life Channel Debuts
Discovery IMPACT Initiatives
Continue to Grow
DCI Welcomes New Executives
{ A MESSAGE FROM }
David
Zaslav
In 2014, we hit two major inflection points
in our international business: more than
50% of Discovery’s revenue now comes
from outside the U.S., and we generated
more than $1 billion in international
AOIBDA. Beyond our great content, these
impressive gains are being driven by our
distribution advantage, strong global
brands, local managers and staff and
smart strategic acquisitions, led by our
new Eurosport brands across Europe
and Asia.
Last year, Discovery’s investments in
content, brands and new international
platforms generated more impressions
and scale than ever before. Doubledigit growth in international audiences,
expansion of our global flagships into new
markets, and establishing the leading
sports provider in Europe is creating
strong operating leverage and longterm value for advertisers, audiences,
distributors and shareholders.
(
)
"Discovery has always
thrived – and will continue
to do so – by relentlessly
focusing on our global
brands, telling great stories,
nourishing audiences and
investing in our awardwinning content."
This year, we will continue to invest in
our global non-fiction content engine.
That investment is clearly making a
difference and our recent distribution
deals illustrate our value. We recently
closed deals with Hulu and Sony (on its
new cloud-based service PlayStation™
Vue), and with traditional distributors
Suddenlink, NCTC and Cablevision.
Despite our steady progress around the
world, we face the cyclical headwinds
of unfavorable foreign exchange rates,
and in the U.S., a fluctuating ad sales
market and a maturing pay-TV landscape.
Fears – nothing new to the industry – are
also being stoked by noise about skinny
bundles, SVOD platforms and changing
viewing habits.
Through various marketplace shifts, our
strategic focus has always remained
the same. We’ve built our portfolio and
brands through investing in our channels
and programming regardless of the winds
of the day. Our low-cost, highly efficient
content factory, as well as owning our IP
across platforms and regions, continues
to be our key strategic advantage.
With organic growth opportunities across
our global platform, we are confident we
can deliver real long-term growth and
continued shareholder value by investing
in programming, attracting world-class
talent in markets around the world and
building the next generation of business
and brands.
David Zaslav is President and Chief Executive
Officer of Discovery Communications and
serves on the company’s Board of Directors.
2
DISCOVERY LIFE
CHANNEL DEBUTS
On January 15, Discovery Fit & Health became Discovery
Life Channel, a network that embraces all of life’s unplanned
moments. Presenting unscripted, authentic programming that
taps into the emotion, drama and humor of everyday lives,
the network’s evolution signifies Discovery’s commitment to
providing audiences with the very best non-fiction content
on television. From the informative to the enlightening, the
heartbreaking to heartwarming, Discovery Life Channel
programs emotional series that shine a light on the very
best of the human spirit.
NEW SERIES JAN 15
THURSDAYS 10/9C
The network also will continue with hit programming that
supports its niche appeal in the health and medical genres.
Discovery Life Channel premiered with a robust and diverse
programming slate, with titles including: 50 WAYS TO KILL YOUR
MOTHER, OUTRAGEOUS BIRTHS: TALES FROM THE CRIB, BODY
BIZARRE, NY ER, HOARDING: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, THE
MISTRESS and WORLD’S WORST MOM. Discovery Life Channel
remains under the purview of Henry Schleiff as Group President
with Jane Latman at the helm as General Manager, and is
available to 46 million U.S. homes.
DISCOVERY WRAPS 2014 WITH NEW, LONG-TERM DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS
Discovery closed out 2014 with the renewal of several new, long-term distribution agreements for its domestic portfolio
of networks.
New, multi-year agreements with Suddenlink, the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), Mediacom and Cablevision will
allow nearly 10 million cumulative subscribers across the country to continue to enjoy access to Discovery’s award-winning portfolio
of networks.
Discovery also reached robust agreements with Hulu and Sony during the 4th quarter. The Hulu deal – Discovery’s first-ever,
long-form content partnership with the company – brings programming from across Discovery’s domestic portfolio to U.S. Hulu
subscribers. The Sony deal brings 18 Discovery networks and services, including all 13 U.S. networks as well as next-generation
digital entertainment from Discovery Digital Networks and Animal Planet L!VE to PlayStation™ Vue, Sony’s new cloud-based TV
service launching broadly this year.
A Quarterly Publication of Discovery Communications | FEBRUARY 2015
3
ID AND TURBO ARE DISCOVERY’S
NEXT BIG GLOBAL BRANDS
{ COVER STORY }
GLOBAL BRAND
POWERHOUSES
Twenty-five years ago, Discovery started its global expansion with the launch of Discovery
Channel in the U.K. Today, with an average of 10 channels in more than 220 countries around
the world, Discovery Communications is the #1 pay-TV programmer in the world reaching
nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in every corner of the globe.
Led by Discovery Channel, the world’s most widely distributed network reaching nearly 500
million homes, and TLC, the world’s leading female network reaching more than 400 million
homes, the company has succeeded in building a global brand factory. Today, two more of
Discovery’s brands, Investigation Discovery and Turbo, are on the fast track to joining these
networks and becoming the company’s next global hits.
Investigation Discovery (ID) launched in 2009. Today, less than six years
after its inception, the brand has quickly become a global sensation.
With small adjustments – new hosts and local languages – ID’s
true-crime stories are drawing a global audience of “ID Addicts.”
And the success is just beginning. In 2014, the network marked a
major milestone officially reaching 100 million global homes with new
launches in both India and Denmark. In Denmark, ID achieved 2.6%
share of its target audience in the first month to become SBS Discovery
Denmark’s most successful launch in five years. The network’s
expansion will continue in 2015 – reaching more countries and more
viewers around the world.
ID BY THE NUMBERS
TURBO BY THE NUMBERS
100 million
60 million
5 million
165 million
#1
Factual pay-TV channel
for women in the
U.K. with 12 million
subscribers
56%
average viewing
#1
Mystery and suspense
channel in Poland with
7 million viewers
International subscribers
Viewers during first month
on air in India
4
International subscribers
Global viewers of
WHEELER DEALERS
Increase in the
minutes on Turbo
internationally year
over year vs. 3Q13
Discovery is building yet another global powerhouse with the worldwide
launch of Turbo, a dedicated auto channel known in the U.S. as Velocity.
With hits like WHEELER DEALERS drawing an international audience
of more than 165 million viewers versus its U.S. reach of 27 million,
car-fare is proving to be another genre of content that travels
extremely well.
Turbo is already seeing great success in Latin America as well as
European countries, where viewership continues to rise by double digits
year over year. This success is indicative of the growth to come. By the
end of 2015, the brand will be bigger than ever before, reaching over
125 million homes and ultimately creating another very attractive global
consumer and advertising brand for the company.
EUROSPORT SCORECARD
Discovery acquired a controlling interest in
Eurosport International last year and is proving
that sports is a natural evolution for the world’s
leading non-fiction storyteller. Integration efforts
are well underway with a focus on going to market
as one team, bringing greater scale and depth to
distribution and ad sales, and bolstering strategic
investments in sports rights to enhance Eurosport’s
brands. Some key developments from last quarter:
the exclusive rights to the ATP Stuttgart tennis tournament to add
• Acquired
to Eurosport’s strong portfolio of tennis rights; added FIFA Women’s World
Cup Canada for the next two years; renewed FIS Alpine, Cross-Country, Nordic
Combined, Ski-Jumping, Freestyle and Snowboard World Cup rights while
adding exclusive coverage of these competitions and skiing in the UK, France,
Poland, Romania and Spain; bought rights to Handball World Championships for
Eurosport and SBS channels in Sweden; and added Bundesliga rights in Turkey.
distribution teams and went to market as one portfolio. Having
• Combined
already completed 13 combined distribution deals, Discovery-Eurosport ad sales
teams have now held mini Upfronts across Europe and successfully sold the
combined offering.
unlock the full value of the combination, the next step is to leverage must• To
have sports content for the entire Discovery Communications portfolio around
the world. This will deliver sustainable, long-term value for advertisers, affiliates,
audiences and shareholders, as well as sports federations and rights holders.
PETER HUTTON JOINS
EUROSPORT AS CEO
To bolster the company’s strategic
leadership and capability in sports,
Discovery hired sports industry veteran
Peter Hutton as CEO of Eurosport while
his predecessor Jean-Thierry Augustin
has been appointed to the newly created
role of President, Sports Strategy &
Development, Discovery Networks
International. Hutton will use his 32
years in the business to lead negotiations
of key sports rights, to spearhead
content strategy and to leverage local
infrastructure and teams, ultimately
launching new local feeds into larger
advertising and growth markets to
reinforce Eurosport’s value.
NEW AND RETURNING ‘IMPACT’ INITIATIVES REINFORCE
DISCOVERY’S COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITIES
Discovery’s IMPACT initiatives continued in the 4th quarter with both new, network-driven initiatives and returning corporate programs.
Each program, underscoring Discovery’s commitment to give back in communities where employees live and work and supporting
organizations with socially responsible missions, allows the company to harness all of its assets – from employees to on-air programming
and network talent – to lend a hand in their local communities. Some of this quarter’s programs included:
Change: Discovery employees donated their marketing, design, communications and operational skills to nearly 60 nonprofits
• Creating
during the company’s 5 annual Creating Change pro bono marathon and conference this November. The 12-hour marathon harnessed
th
the creative muscle of over 125 employees at Discovery’s headquarters to help organizations supporting a number of causes including
homelessness, veterans, bullying prevention and animal welfare, among others. In addition to this work, Discovery hosted nonprofits at
a Creating Change conference running alongside the marathon.
to Puppy Bowl: This fall, Animal Planet partnered with NFL teams for its first-ever ROAD TO PUPPY BOWL events, bringing NFL
• Road
players to local animal shelters for meet and greets with shelter visitors. Animal Planet encouraged attendees to bring pets back to
their forever homes by covering adoption fees at each of the events.
TLC Season of Giving: TLC and Feeding America joined forces this holiday season, working hard to get local communities
• involved
in the fight against hunger. Part of the TLC Season of Giving, the partnership brought a series of volunteer events
to local Feeding America food banks across the country, pairing TLC talent with local volunteers to lend a hand to Americans
living in food-insecure households.
A Quarterly Publication of Discovery Communications | FEBRUARY 2015
5
WATCH WITH THE WORLD:
RATINGSHIGHLIGHTS
PUPPY BOWL REIGNS SUPREME ONCE AGAIN
PUPPY BOWL brought home the trophy once
again this year, dominating a field of imitators
and dogging all competition in cable with 10.4
million unique P2+ viewers. Animal Planet’s
PUPPY BOWL XI premiere was the #1 cable telecast across the
day on Super Bowl Sunday among all major demos, including
P2+ viewers, HH, P25-54 and W25-54. In the social and digital
arenas, PUPPY BOWL XI continued its championship reign as
the #1 social non-Super Bowl event in all of television, reaching
more than 17 million fans, trending all night on Facebook and
generating ten unique U.S. and Worldwide Trending Topics
on Twitter.
NETWORK’S BEST YEAR EVER
CLAIMING FIVE OF THE TOP 10 UNSCRIPTED
SERIES IN 2014
Discovery Channel rounded out 2014 by
claiming five out of the top 10 unscripted
series in cable among M25-54 with
GOLD RUSH coming in at #1, followed by
DEADLIEST CATCH (#3), FAST N’ LOUD (#4), STREET OUTLAWS
(#6) and MOONSHINERS (#8). Discovery also moved up two
positions in the M25-54 rankings and broke into the top five
(#4) for the year. The network also was a top 10 cable network
this year among P25-54 delivery (#6), P18-49 (#8) and in Total
Viewers P2+ (#9). In other highlights, the network’s first scripted
mini-series, KLONDIKE, also set viewership records, and SHARK
WEEK delivered its highest-rated week in its 27-year history.
TOP 5 FOR WOMEN
TLC started 2014 with its best 1st and
2nd quarters in a decade, and also secured the
#1 Female Cable Network spot with
W25-54/18-49 on Tuesday nights this year. Series including
LEAH REMINI, LONG ISLAND MEDIUM, SISTER WIVES and
RETURN TO AMISH made TLC a top 5 cable network on Tuesday,
Friday and Sunday nights with W25-54 and Thursday night with
W18-49/18-34. The success continued all year with 30 TLC series
averaging 1 million P2+ viewers or more and two series averaging
3 million P2+ viewers or more. 19 KIDS AND COUNTING garnered
the network’s most-watched telecast in four years, with 4.4
million P2+ viewers for the October wedding special.
6
Investigation Discovery (ID) – now the #4 cable
network for W25-54 in Total Day – closed out
2014 with its best year ever in Prime delivery
among all key demos, including P2+, HH,
P25-54 and W25-54, as well as in Total Day
delivery among P2+, HH, P25-54 and W25-54. In 2014, ID also
experienced double-digit increases in Prime delivery among key
demos, including: P2+, HH, P25-54 and W25-54. For the past
three years, the network has been #1 in Total Day for Length of
Tune in all of television among P25-54 and W25-54, with ID’s
Length of Tune in Total Day 98% higher than the average for
all of television among P25-54.
OWN CLIMBS HIGHER AND HIGHER
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network closed out
2014 with its third consecutive year of
double-digit growth in prime, up 15% in
total viewers. OWN’s prime average was up 3% in W25-54 and
up 12% in African American W25-54 vs. last year. Now a leading
network for African American women, OWN finished the year
as the #1 network on all of TV among AA W25-54 and AA
W18+ on Tuesday nights, the #1 cable network among AA
W25-54/18+ and Total AA viewers on
Wednesday nights and the #3 network
on all of TV among AA W25-54 and AA
W18+ on Saturday nights.
COMET LANDING CAPTURES VIEWERS
A THREE-YEAR STREAK
Science Channel celebrated its most-watched
year ever in prime for 2014, matching the
success of 2013 with Total Viewers P2+. Science’s
breakthrough special LANDING ON A COMET:
THE ROSETTA MISSION was the #2 telecast
in network history. Success followed in the new year with
the MYTHBUSTERS MEGA-MARATHON, generating a total
unduplicated audience of 15.5 million viewers in P2+ during
its January run.
Now celebrating its third consecutive year
of growth, Destination America continues to
thrive. 2014 was the network’s best year ever
in Prime and Total Day among HH, P2+ and
P/W25-54/18-49. As of January 2015, the network has recorded
year-over-year gains in Prime delivery among all key demos
including HH, P2+ and P/M/W25-54/18-49 and in Total Day
delivery among HH, P2+ and P/W25-54/18-49.
TEXAS TROCAS IS A HIT
DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH AND BEST YEAR EVER
In 2014, American Heroes Channel (AHC) had
its best year ever in Prime delivery among all
major demos including P2+ and HH, as well
as in Total Day among P2+ and HH. Having
transitioned from the Military Channel in March 2014, AHC was
the #7 fastest growing, ad-supported cable network for Total
Day delivery among P25-54 in 2014. Closing out the year, AHC
demonstrated 22 consecutive months of year-over-year Total
Day delivery gains among P2+ and HH, while demonstrating
14 consecutive months of year-over-year Prime delivery gains
among HH.
BARRETT-JACKSON LIVE SMASHES
RATINGS RECORDS
More than 5.1 million people tuned in to
Velocity’s BARRETT-JACKSON LIVE, the
network’s coverage of the 44th annual BarrettJackson collector car auction in Scottsdale,
Arizona. Audiences on average watched for more than two hours
of the six-day event shattering records to become Velocity’s
#1 series among HH, P2+ and M18+ in ratings and delivery. The
BARRETT-JACKSON LIVE telecast on January 17 from 8-10 PM
ET stands as the network’s #1 telecast ever among HH in ratings
and delivery and the #1 telecast ever in delivery for P25-54,
M25-54, M18+ and P2+.
Discovery en Español’s eight-part docureality series TEXAS TROCAS is a major
hit, and has pushed the network to #1
among P18-49 on Spanish language pay-TV on Monday nights.
The show also was the 4th most-watched original production
ever for Discovery en Español, with its first season up 140%
above the prior six weeks for P18-49 in its time slot.
A RECORD-SETTING 2014
Discovery Networks International (DNI)
closed the books on a record-setting
year, with its average yearly audience
basis up 10% from 2013. DNI also achieved its best-ever quarter
in 4th quarter, with its global portfolio of 51 brands reaching
a massive 654 million viewers (up 4% vs. 2013) – marking
DNI's highest-ever international reach. In addition, DNI
attained its highest-ever average audience, up 13% against
the 2013 quarter.
P indicates persons
P2+ indicates persons age 2 years and up
M indicates men
W indicates women
HH indicates households and numbers indicate ages
A Quarterly Publication of Discovery Communications | FEBRUARY 2015
7
TUNE IN:
PROGRAMMINGHIGHLIGHTS
FAST N’ LOUD AND MISFIT GARAGE
COME ROARING BACK
FAST N’ LOUD comes speeding back to Discovery in March.
Together, Richard Rawlings and Aaron Kaufman will again scour
barns, swap meets and open fields in search of forgotten and
neglected vintage cars that to this crew are potential goldmines.
MISFIT GARAGE, a spin-off of FAST N’ LOUD, also will return for
a brand new season in March featuring four mechanics who are
creating their own hot rod shop to rival Richard Rawling’s Gas
Monkey Garage. Will this band of misfits be able to turn their
garage into a money-making machine, or will their mistakes
sink the business before it gets off the ground?
TLC BRINGS STYLE BACK
TLC is making a return to the style genre in 2015 with two brand
new series. In January, style maven Stacy London returned to
the network with the premiere of LOVE, LUST OR RUN, this time
taking on make-unders and helping women change their look
after strangers rate their style. In February, the fashion focus
will continue with STYLE BY JURY, featuring experts Louise Roe
and Preston Konrad as they help women who have committed
horrendous “style crimes.” The fashion-challenged can rejoice;
TLC is back in the style genre!
ANIMAL PLANET REELS IN NEXT GREAT FISHING
ADVENTURE SERIES
Animal Planet prepared for war on the water with the premiere
of ALASKA: BATTLE ON THE BAY in January. The new eight-part
series submerges viewers within the most competitive fishing
season on Earth. In the desolate outreaches of Bristol Bay, Alaska,
1,800 captains and their crews draw battle lines to help save
Alaska’s ecosystem by reeling in a massive sockeye salmon payday.
With potential fortune swimming just below the surface, five
captains prepare to battle the unforgiving bay, the battering ram
of boats jockeying for position, and the law, which strictly monitors
the season with recon choppers and police squads.
8
ID GETS ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ WITH VANITY FAIR
Vanity Fair has covered some of the most fascinating crimes
and dramas of our age, shedding light on everything from
salacious sex scandals to cold-blooded murder. In VANITY
FAIR CONFIDENTIAL (Mondays at 9/8c), Vanity Fair offers up
unprecedented access to the magazine’s writers and editors,
taking Investigation Discovery viewers to the heart of some
of the most controversial dramas in history.
WELCOME TO SWEETIE PIE’S RETURNS TO OWN
An all-new season of WELCOME TO SWEETIE PIE’S kicks off in
February on OWN as the Montgomery family works to expand
their empire – a chain of soul food, family-centered eateries called
Sweetie Pie’s. In the new season, the Sweetie Pie’s brand is on the
upswing just as the turmoil in Ferguson, MO unfolds. As tensions
and unrest begin to affect their hometown, and potentially their
business, Miss Robbie and Tim, along with other members of the
staff, join together to help the struggling community.
SCIENCE CHANNEL PUTS VIRAL SCIENCE FLUBS
TO THE TEST
February 7 marked an exciting venture for Science Channel, with
the network debut of WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? as
part of a special simulcast with Discovery Channel. In the all-new
series, hosts Kevin Moore and Grant Reynolds experiment with
some of the Internet’s most infamous video flubs. Many of these
homemade videos – people wondering what would happen if they
attached rockets to a skateboard or if a concrete canoe could
float – garner millions of views because their exploits have failed,
often with hilarious consequences. Kevin and Grant’s mission
is to decipher what went wrong in these videos and to
successfully recreate each experiment with sound science
plus a little personal creativity.
AMERICAN HEROES CHANNEL CELEBRATES
TOM BROKAW’S RETURN TO THE NETWORK
As one of the most trusted and respected figures in broadcast
journalism, Tom Brokaw has provided Americans with an insider’s
perspective about the most decisive moments in modern history.
In an all-new special produced exclusively for American Heroes
Channel (AHC) by NBC News’ Peacock Productions, Brokaw takes
viewers on a journey through his memorable and newsworthy
interviews with some of the world’s most revolutionary and
visionary figures. The special, THE MEN WHO CHANGED THE
WORLD WITH TOM BROKAW, premieres in the first quarter.
VELOCITY UNCOVERS MORE FOUR-WHEELED
TREASURES ON AMERICARNA
This February, Velocity returned with its cross-country road trip
to open garage doors and lift the hoods of four-wheeled treasures
that have had a profound effect on American culture. Three-time
NASCAR champion crew chief Ray Evernham returns as host of
AMERICARNA, scouting the incredible hidden stories of American
automotive history that defined our cultural identity. From
the last car Elvis Presley drove to the epic memoir of the Ford
Mustang, and a tour of prototype cars in the General Motors vault,
AMERICARNA presents a look at our national story through the
lens of one of its greatest inventions: the automobile.
IMPACT WRESTLING JOINS
DESTINATION AMERICA LINEUP WITH
NEW KNOCKOUT PARTNERSHIP
Destination America kicked off 2015 as the new home for one of
the top professional wrestling organizations, TNA’s (Total Nonstop
Action) IMPACT WRESTLING. Part of an exclusive broadcast deal
between Discovery Communications and TNA Entertainment,
Destination America will now air brand-new premieres of IMPACT
WRESTLING featuring some of the biggest names in professional
wrestling, including Jeff Hardy, Bobby Roode, Kurt Angle, Bobby
Lashley and Gail Kim.
IDRIS ELBA GOES RACING FOR DISCOVERY
Discovery Networks U.K. has commissioned a new series with
Golden Globe–winning and Emmy Award–nominated actor and
producer Idris Elba. In THE IDRIS ELBA PROJECT (working
title), Elba will push his mind, body and engineering knowhow to the limit by racing on land, water and in the air. He will
join professional teams, take on some of the toughest racing
challenges across the globe, and receive coaching by some of
the world’s leading drivers and pilots. Produced by Shine North
and Elba’s own production company Green Door Pictures, the
new series will broadcast on Discovery in mid-2015 in more than
220 countries and territories, including the United States.
A Quarterly Publication of Discovery Communications | FEBRUARY 2015
9
Phil Craig Joins Discovery Networks International As
Executive Vice President & Chief Creative Officer
Phil Craig has joined Discovery Networks International
as Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer.
Based in London, Craig will head up the Production and
Development group, with teams spanning five locations
across the globe. In this role, Craig will develop both
factual and lifestyle content for Discovery’s international
networks. Working with 70 producers in the U.K. alone,
and many more abroad, Craig’s team produces over
160 hours of content each year. He also will closely
collaborate with Discovery’s U.S. networks on content
sharing and development. Previously, Craig was at
ABC TV in Australia, where he served as Head of Factual
since 2012.
Discovery Joins Realscreen
2015 As Exclusive Partner
The Realscreen Summit, a leading
conference for the non-fiction and
unscripted content industry, celebrated
its 17th annual Washington, D.C. event in
January with more than 2,800 attendees.
Discovery’s presence at the Summit also
was bigger than ever with more than 20
Discovery representatives participating
in panels and small group events over the
course of the four-day conference. An
exclusive partner of the Summit, Discovery
also boasted a new delegate lounge and
hosted a cocktail party for attendees.
Rich Ross Taps John Goldwyn And
John Hoffman To Lead Scripted And
Documentaries At Discovery Channel
Discovery Honors International Holocaust
Remembrance Day
John Goldwyn
John Hoffman
Discovery Channel President Rich Ross, who officially assumed
his post in January, has added two new executives to his
senior leadership team, appointing John Goldwyn to take
the helm on the network’s scripted strategy as Executive
Producer for Scripted Programming and John Hoffman to lead
Documentaries and Specials as Executive Vice President.
Goldwyn most recently served as executive producer for the
series Gracepoint for Shine America and Fox Broadcasting
Company and is known for his work in producing the Peabody/
Emmy Award–winning hit cable series Dexter, which ran for eight
seasons. Award-winning, industry veteran John Hoffman was
a part of HBO Documentary Films for 17 years where he most
recently executive produced and directed the multiple-Emmy®nominated The Weight of the Nation.
Both Goldwyn and Hoffman will serve in key positions on the
senior leadership team working alongside Ross to extend and
develop the network’s scripted and documentary strategies.
10
Discovery Communications commemorated International
Holocaust Remembrance Day in January with a global
programming initiative that brought ONE DAY IN AUSCHWITZ,
a one-hour original special, to both Discovery Channel and
AHC. The special, which aired internationally in more than 220
countries on Discovery, was produced in partnership with the
University of Southern California’s (USC) Shoah Foundation –
The Institute for Visual History and Education, established
by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg’s Academy Award®–winning
masterpiece SCHINDLER’S LIST also aired in select
Discovery markets and on AHC in the United States
without commercial interruption.
Furthering Discovery’s commitment, Discovery Education
partnered with Auschwitz: The Past is Present, a global
communication and education program formed in support of
official activities of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz. As part of the program, Discovery Education brought
25 educators from around the world to Poland for a four-day
professional development program and to attend the official 70th
anniversary commemoration ceremonies. These educators were
joined by Discovery’s CEO, David Zaslav, who served as chairman
of the Auschwitz: The Past is Present committee, as well as nearly
300 survivors and a number of world leaders and dignitaries.
A First For Discovery In Africa Through Public-Private Partnership
With UK Aid And Discovery Learning Alliance
Discovery Communications and the UK Department for International Development have launched
The Discovery Project, a unique public-private partnership designed to improve education opportunities
for marginalized girls in Africa. As part of this effort, implemented by Discovery Learning Alliance (DLA),
DLA launched Discovery +, a series of talk shows across Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria designed to inspire
families to overcome barriers to quality education. These 78 hours of original African programming on free-to-air platforms are a first for
Discovery on the continent. The partnership expands Discovery’s impact in under-served communities through the non-profit Discovery
Learning Alliance, now reaching 2.25 million students and teachers and over 10 million viewers.
Discovery Networks International Realigns European
Business And Leadership
Discovery Education Unveils
Ground-Breaking Math Techbook
In November, Discovery Networks
International announced three newly defined
regions in Europe: Northern Europe, Southern
Europe, and Central and Eastern Europe,
Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA). Discovery
Networks Northern Europe now consists of the
U.K. and Ireland, the Nordics and the Benelux
businesses, and is run under the direction
of President and Managing Director Dee
Forbes. Marinella Soldi was named President
and Managing Director of Southern Europe,
overseeing France, Italy, Spain and Portugal;
and Kasia Kieli will continue to lead CEEMEA;
which has expanded its reach to include
Germany, Austria and Switzerland;
as President and Managing Director.
Discovery Education recently unveiled
its comprehensive Math Techbook, a
dynamic digital textbook designed to
promote lasting student proficiency.
As the latest addition to the company’s
award-winning line of digital textbooks,
Math Techbook transforms the way
students and teachers experience math
through engaging instructional strategies
and real-world problems that motivate
and excite students with diverse learning
styles. To showcase the new digital
textbook, Discovery Education hosted an
official launch event in January with a live
audience of over 100 guests including U.S.
Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez and
more than 2,800 live stream participants.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Discovery Networks Italia announced
the acquisition of All Music, the Italian
broadcaster behind national free-toair general entertainment channel
Deejay TV, from media conglomerate
Gruppo Espresso. Deejay TV becomes
Discovery’s seventh free-to-air channel
in Italy.
• ID has announced the addition of
veteran journalists Barbara Walters
and Chris Hansen to the network as
hosts for two all-new series in 2015.
• Animal Planet brought the first
ever "Puppy Bowl Café” to Super
Bowl Central in Phoenix this year.
Thousands of fans came to see the
litters of adoptable puppies on the
replica field outside of the café,
where Animal Planet helped to cover
adoption fees.
• The European Qualifiers became the
most-watched programs of all time on
Kanal 5 in Sweden and MAX Norway,
with one match pulling in a massive
55.5% audience share.
• Benelux achieved its best year ever
in 2014 with a portfolio share of 6.7%
(A20-49) OP DE AMBULANCE MET
became the best local production ever
on TLC, and HOW DO THEY DO IT
WITH JEOP VAN DEUDEKOM became
Discovery Channel’s highest-ever-rated
local title.
• Discovery Digital Networks produced
140 pieces of original content from the
January 2015 Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas.
• British Eurosport scored its highest
ratings in more than a decade, airing
Andy Murray and Grigo Dimitrov’s
match at the Australian Open
in January.
A Quarterly Publication of Discovery Communications | FEBRUARY 2015
11
As Reported February 19, 2015
464 189
cumulative
worldwide
subscribers
global Discovery
Channel subscribers
billion
{ BY THE NUMBERS }
U.S. NETWORKS
2.9
(MILLIONS)
million
international
HD markets
INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS
(MILLIONS)
53
network
entertainment
brands
300
million
monthly streams
online
ABOUT DISCOVERY
COMMUNICATIONS
Subscribers
Subscribers
Discovery Channel...............................................97
Discovery Channel................................................ 367
TLC......................................................................... 95
Animal Planet......................................................... 313
Animal Planet...................................................... 94
TLC...........................................................................307
Investigation Discovery..................................... 86
reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative
Eurosport ................................................................ 132
subscribers in more than 220
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network...........................82
Investigation Discovery/ID Extra........................104
countries and territories. For
Science Channel...................................................76
Discovery Family Channel..................................70
Velocity....................................................................61
American Heroes Channel................................ 60
Destination America...........................................57
Discovery Life...................................................... 46
Discovery en Español............................................ 7
Discovery Familia...................................................6
EDUCATION
Innovative, multimedia educational products
and services serving more than half of U.S.
K-12 schools and more than half of U.K.
primary schools including:
•Discovery Education streaming PLUS
• Discovery Education Digital Techbook Series
•Discovery Education Professional Development
•Discovery Educator Network
More than 3.5 million teachers and 35 million
students use Discovery Education’s leading
broadband content
Over 80 million pieces of content delivered
per year
Switchover Media....................................................101
Discovery Kids.........................................................84
DMAX......................................................................... 83
Discovery Communications
(Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is
the world’s #1 pay-TV programmer
30 years Discovery has been
dedicated to satisfying curiosity
and entertaining viewers with
high-quality content through
Discovery Science................................................... 82
its global television brands, led
Eurosport 2.............................................................. 70
by Discovery Channel, TLC,
Discovery Home & Health.....................................64
Animal Planet, Investigation
Discovery Turbo/Discovery Turbo Xtra HD.......60
Fatafeat..................................................................... 55
Discovery and Science, as well
as U.S. joint venture network
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.
SBS Nordics...............................................................27
Discovery controls Eurosport,
Quest.......................................................................... 26
the leading pan-regional sports
Discovery Real Time............................................... 25
entertainment destination across
Discovery World....................................................... 19
Discovery Max........................................................... 19
Shed............................................................................ 12
Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle
East and Africa. Discovery also is
a leading provider of educational
products and services to schools,
Discovery History.......................................................11
including an award-winning series
Discovery HD Showcase...........................................11
of K-12 digital textbooks, through
Eurosport Asia Pacific..............................................11
Discovery Education, and a digital
Eurosport News..........................................................9
Discovery HD World.................................................. 8
Discovery HD Theater.............................................. 8
Discovery Civilization................................................6
leader with a diversified online
portfolio, including Discovery
Digital Networks. For more
information, please visit www.
discoverycommunications.com.
[1] Subscriber numbers as of December 31, 2014, according to The Nielsen Company in the U.S. and internal data review and external sources outside of the U.S. [2] Subscriber numbers include unbranded programming blocks in China, which are
generally provided without charge to third-party channels and represented approximately 280 million cumulative subscribers as of December 31, 2014. [3] U.S. Hispanic networks are distributed to U.S. subscribers, but are operated by and includedas
part of Discovery International Networks for financial reporting and management purposes.
One Discovery Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3354 • www.discoverycommunications.com • 240.662.2000