Shark Week


Discovery: Scripps merger has “completely changed” the business

Discovery factual boss Nancy Daniels has said that the Scripps merger has “completely changed” the business, with a new strategy in place for content sharing across the channels. The exec said that the merger, which closed its $14.6bn acquisition of Scripps in March 2018, has resulted in a “huge transformation” that has opened up the […]

Discovery and Snapchat seal social deal

Discovery is to provide premium short-form video content exclusively for US users of social media platform Snapchat. Under the terms of the deal, Discovery and Snapchat will collaborate to produce new series created specifically for Snapchat’s mobile-centric audience as well as shows inspired by existing Discovery titles including Shark Week and Mythbusters. The shows are […]

Discovery eyes D2C Velocity, Science apps

Discovery Communications could soon launch direct-to-consumer apps for its Velocity and Discover Science channels as it seeks to super-serve what president and CEO David Zaslav calls “passionate tribes”. Discovery has already launched over-the-top, on-demand players Dplay and Eurosport, and may now move on to similar launches for its American channel brands. Zaslav said networks that […]

Discovery’s Shark Week goes VR

Discovery Communications will embark on its annual Shark Week in late June with a virtual reality element included for the first time. The week-long extravaganza of shark-themed programming kicks off on June 26 and alongside a raft of programming about the aquatic predators there will be a dedicated VR experience, accessible via the DiscoveryVR app. […]

Blue chip to new chip: natural history with bite

Stewart Clarke speaks to commissioners, producers, distributors and digital pioneers about their efforts to reimagine the natural history genre. Alastair Fothergill is the embodiment of blue-chip, making landmark series for the BBC and films for Disney Nature, but he is now seeking to reinvent the genre, out of necessity as much as anything. “When I […]

Ex-Discovery specials chief joins Mansfield’s Plimsoll

Former Discovery Communications and BBC factual programming boss Andrew Jackson has joined Grant Mansfield’s fledgling production company. Jackson has taken the post of executive VP, international production at Plimsoll Productions, which former Zodiak USA boss Mansfield launched in September last year. Jackson will oversee a plan to take Plimsoll into the US market. This comes […]