Discovery, Inc.

Discovery, Inc.
Company type	Public
Industry	Media
Predecessor	Cable Educational Network
Founded	1982; 44 years ago
Defunct	April 8, 2022
Fate	Merged with WarnerMedia to form Warner Bros. Discovery
Successor	Warner Bros. Discovery
Headquarters	New York City, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	David Zaslav (CEO)
Products	Television channels (Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Science Channel, TLC, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel), streaming services (GolfTV), sports broadcasting (Eurosport)
Owner	Public shareholders
Number of employees	approx. 300 (in Silver Spring facility in 2019) (2019)

Discovery, Inc. was a prominent American multinational media corporation headquartered in New York City. Established in 1982, it managed a diverse array of factual and lifestyle television properties, featuring flagship channels such as Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and TLC. The acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive in 2018 broadened its portfolio to include networks like Food Network, HGTV, and Travel Channel. Following this expansion, Discovery concentrated on engaging "passionate" audiences and prioritized the development of streaming platforms centered around its content.

The company maintained stakes in localized versions of its channels worldwide and oversaw significant regional operations including Eurosport, a leading pan-European sports broadcaster and Olympic rights holder; GolfTV, an international golf streaming service with digital rights from the PGA Tour; Discovery Communications Nordic, catering to Scandinavia; Poland’s TVN Group; as well as multiple free-to-air stations across Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

In May 2021, AT&T announced plans to merge its media division, WarnerMedia, with Discovery, Inc. This merger obtained approval from the European Commission in December 2021 and was completed on April 8, 2022, resulting in the formation of the new company Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

History

The origins of the company trace back to 1982 in Landover, Maryland under the name Cable Educational Network. Its flagship channel, Discovery Channel, debuted on June 17, 1985. In 1991, Discovery acquired The Learning Channel, and by 1994, the organization rebranded as Discovery Communications.

October 1996 marked an expansion phase with launches such as Animal Planet and digital cable offerings including Discovery Kids, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Civilization, and Science Channel. In 1997, Discovery purchased a 70% interest in the Travel Channel and introduced additional channels like Discovery en Español, Discovery Wings, and Discovery Health Channel in 1998. That same year saw Discovery acquire CBS's share in CBS Eye on People channel, rebranding it as Discovery People in 1999; however, this channel ceased operations by 2000.

On September 1, 2001, Discovery acquired The Health Channel and renamed it as FitTV. The following year, Discovery Civilization was relaunched as Discovery Times through a collaboration with The New York Times. June 2002 also saw the launch of the round-the-clock high-definition channel Discovery HD Theater. In 2003, the company's headquarters relocated from Bethesda to Silver Spring, Maryland.

Between 2003 and 2004, Discovery ventured into educational content by acquiring academic film companies AGC, AIMS Multimedia, and Clearvue & SVE to establish Discovery Education, currently led by Jeremy Cowdrey. In 2019, Discovery Communications moved its main offices to New York City, New York, while retaining a smaller Silver Spring facility employing approximately 300 staff members.

Zaslav era

On November 16, 2006, former NBCUniversal executive David Zaslav was appointed president and CEO of Discovery Communications. His leadership emphasized reinforcing core networks and programming while expanding into digital media platforms with the goal of transforming Discovery into a "content company" rather than solely a "cable company."

In March 2007, Discovery divested its stake in Travel Channel back to Cox Communications in exchange for Cox’s shares in Discovery. Cox subsequently sold controlling interest in Travel Channel to Scripps Networks Interactive in 2009. By June 2008, Discovery Home was replaced by Planet Green—a channel dedicated to environmental issues and sustainable lifestyles.

In 2007, Discovery acquired TreeHugger for $10 million. This property was later purchased by Mother Nature Network (now Narrative Content Group) in 2012; both entities were eventually acquired by Dotdash.

On January 15, 2008, Discovery entered into a joint venture with Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions to relaunch Discovery Health as OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network in 2009. That same year saw Discovery Times rebranded as Investigation Discovery with a focus on true crime content. Additionally, the company established its Emerging Networks Group under Clark Bunting’s leadership.

On April 30, 2009, a partnership with Hasbro led to the relaunch of Discovery Kids as The Hub—a youth- and family-oriented channel that launched on October 10, 2010. OWN officially began broadcasting on January 1, 2011.

In March 2009, Discovery initiated legal action against Amazon over alleged Kindle patent infringements related to e-book technology developed by founder John Hendricks; Amazon filed counterclaims concerning unrelated patents. The dispute was resolved through settlement in 2011.

On October 4, 2011, HD Theater was rebranded as Velocity targeting an upscale male demographic with automotive-themed programming. Due to low ratings, Planet Green was renamed Destination America in May 2012.

January 2014 marked the launch of Curiosity.com—an online educational content aggregator by Discovery. In April that year, the company invested in Dog TV—a network designed specifically for canine audiences.

In May 2014, Discovery alongside shareholder Liberty Media acquired British studio All3Media for $930 million through a joint venture equally split; All3Media continues to operate independently. October saw Discovery gain majority control of Hub Network from Hasbro and rebrand it as Discovery Family. During this period, a special dividend comprising Series C common stock was distributed to shareholders. Curiosity was spun off as an independent startup with $6 million raised in November 2014.

In November 2015, Discovery and Liberty Global jointly acquired approximately a 3.4% stake in Lionsgate Entertainment valued around $195 million; CEO David Zaslav joined Lionsgate’s board of directors. December that year marked the launch of Discovery Go—a TV Everywhere platform providing live streaming alongside on-demand content.

By May 2016, Discovery initiated a restructuring plan aiming for $40–60 million cost savings by Q3 while directing investments toward content creation, digital media expansion, sports programming, and international markets. August saw acquisition of a minority interest in Hong Kong-based digital talent agency VS Media to distribute Discovery Digital Networks content within China.

In October 2016, Discovery invested $100 million for a minority stake in Group Nine Media—a digital media holding company encompassing Thrillist Media Group, NowThis, The Dodo, and Seeker—also securing an option for future majority ownership.

Purchase of Scripps Networks Interactive

On July 31, 2017, Discovery revealed its plan to acquire Scripps Networks Interactive, the company behind channels such as Food Network, HGTV, and DIY Network, for $14.6 billion, pending regulatory clearance. The transaction was finalized on March 6, 2018, and the combined entity was rebranded as Discovery, Inc.. Following the merger, shareholders of Scripps Networks Interactive owned 20% of Discovery's equity. Discovery preserved an operational center in Knoxville and intended to shift its headquarters from Silver Spring, Maryland, to New York City by late 2019.

Discovery restructured its portfolio into two divisions managed by chief brand officers: Kathleen Finch, formerly SNI’s chief programmer, took charge of Lifestyle brands including TLC and the six Scripps channels; Nancy Daniels assumed the role of chief brand officer for Discovery & Factual after Rich Ross’s exit.

This acquisition facilitated collaborative programming across networks, such as the Food Network show Buddy vs. Duff, which featured talent from both TLC and Food Network, and a reboot of TLC’s While You Were Out starring HGTV personalities.

On August 3, 2017, Discovery announced a joint venture with TEN: The Enthusiast Network concerning its Velocity channel along with related digital and direct-to-consumer businesses. Discovery held a majority stake; however, print publications were excluded though opportunities for cross-promotion remained. In April 2018, TEN was rebranded as Motor Trend Group, and Velocity transitioned to Motor Trend to align with the magazine’s branding.

In December 2017, Discovery increased its ownership in OWN by acquiring an additional 24.5% for $70 million. Oprah Winfrey continued as CEO and extended her exclusivity deal through 2025; Harpo Productions retained a significant minority interest. In February 2018, Discovery divested a majority interest in Discovery Education to private equity firm Francisco Partners.

Emphasis on direct-to-consumer offerings

In 2018, Discovery realigned its strategic focus toward direct-to-consumer services aimed at highly engaged audiences. This approach was reflected in the SNI acquisition, securing Eurosport’s Olympic broadcasting rights, and launching the Motor Trend network. In 2019, Food Network Kitchen was introduced as a platform offering live and on-demand culinary classes.

Discovery secured a 12-year international media rights agreement for the PGA Tour in June 2018 and launched GolfTV in 2019 as a dedicated streaming platform. Peter Faricy, appointed head of global direct-to-consumer operations, highlighted GolfTV’s role in engaging passionate sports enthusiasts consistent with Discovery’s strategy.

The company moved its New York City headquarters to 230 Park Avenue South in 2018 while selling its Silver Spring facility and leasing a smaller nearby office.

Towards the end of 2018, Discovery collaborated with Chip and Joanna Gaines to create Magnolia Network, a lifestyle media venture intended to replace DIY Network with an over-the-top subscription service. The channel’s debut was delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; programming included a revival of Fixer Upper.

In January 2019, Discovery raised its ownership in Play Sports Group to 71%, supporting the launch of a global cycling OTT service connected to its Global Cycling Network YouTube channel.

April 2019 saw the announcement of a major 10-year global content agreement with BBC Studios. Discovery gained exclusive international SVOD rights to BBC Natural History Unit productions (excluding China, Ireland, and the UK) and restructured their UKTV joint venture—purchasing BBC stakes in Good Food, Home, and Really channels while divesting other assets. Home was rebranded as HGTV UK; Good Food was discontinued in favor of Food Network UK.

In May 2019, Discovery purchased Golf Digest from Condé Nast to integrate it into its Discovery Golf division.

Discovery launched its streaming service Discovery+ in India in March 2020 before expanding into the U.S. market in January 2021. The platform features exclusive content from across Discovery’s portfolio alongside previews of Magnolia Network programming.

In May 2021, Discovery entered into a multi-platform content partnership with the Georgia Aquarium aimed at showcasing animal stories and conservation initiatives.

Merger with WarnerMedia

On May 17, 2021, AT&T revealed plans to combine its content division WarnerMedia—which it had acquired in 2018 for over $85 billion—with Discovery Inc., creating a new entity subject to regulatory consent. The transaction was designed as a Reverse Morris Trust, allocating a 71% ownership stake and seven board seats to AT&T shareholders, while Discovery’s investors would receive 29% ownership and six board seats. As part of the arrangement, AT&T would obtain $43 billion in cash and debt from the spin-off.

David Zaslav was appointed CEO of the newly formed company, highlighting its commitment to an annual content investment of $20 billion—outspending competitors such as Disney, Netflix, and Amazon—and targeting an expansion of streaming platforms like HBO Max to reach 400 million subscribers worldwide. On June 1, 2021, the merged firm adopted the name Warner Bros. Discovery, symbolizing the fusion of Warner Bros.’ century-long storytelling heritage with Discovery’s international presence.

In June 2021, WarnerMedia sold Great American Country to GAC Media, led by Tom Hicks alongside former Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott. That same month, Electronic Arts purchased mobile game developer Playdemic from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for $1.4 billion. Additionally, in September 2021, Fox Corporation acquired TMZ from WarnerMedia for around $50 million.

By November 2021, intentions were announced to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ into a single streaming platform through a two-step process: initially bundling the services, followed by full integration into one app. Discovery also declared it would rebrand itself as Warner Bros. Discovery and adjust its stock accordingly.

The European Commission granted approval for the merger in December 2021, with finalization expected by mid-2022 pending shareholder consent and fulfillment of closing conditions. Early in 2022, WarnerMedia and Paramount Global considered divesting a majority or full stake in The CW network, with Nexstar Media Group emerging as a frontrunner bidder. Discussions indicated potential programming shifts toward unscripted content and national news under new ownership while preserving existing contracts benefiting WarnerMedia and ViacomCBS.

The closing was projected for the second quarter of 2022 and later specified for mid-April. AT&T opted to execute the deal by spinning off WarnerMedia before merging it with Discovery Inc., rather than pursuing an equity carve-out strategy. Regulatory clearance was secured from Brazil’s Cade in February 2022 and shortly thereafter from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Discovery shareholders ratified the deal on March 11, 2022, with official completion occurring on April 8, 2022. This strategic consolidation established a significant media powerhouse combining vast content libraries, extensive global operations, and strengthened positioning within the competitive streaming landscape.

2010 hostage crisis

On September 1, 2010, Discovery Communications’ headquarters located in Silver Spring, Maryland became the scene of a hostage situation when James Jay Lee entered armed with two starter pistols and an explosive device, taking three individuals captive. The building was evacuated promptly, impacting roughly 1,500 employees present at the time. Lee’s actions were motivated by environmental activism; he had previously staged protests outside the company in 2008.

The Montgomery County Police Department confirmed the incident and imposed a lockdown on the premises. After several hours of standoff, Lee was fatally shot by a SWAT team following the escape of the hostages. The FBI characterized this event as the first known U.S. case involving an attempted suicide bomber holding hostages.

Lee had a background in activism and had faced fines and probation due to earlier protests at Discovery’s offices. He disseminated an online manifesto condemning the company’s programming while expressing radical viewpoints on environmental and immigration matters. Experts described him as an eco-fascist influenced by Malthusian ideology and literary works such as Daniel Quinn’s My Ishmael alongside Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.

This incident underscored security vulnerabilities faced by media organizations and highlighted how activist-related threats can disrupt corporate operations. It also illustrated social media’s role in rapid news reporting since Twitter users were among the earliest sources to share information about the crisis.

External links

(archived November 26, 2018)