Animal Planet

Premier League resumes CEO search following Dinnage’s shock exit

The Premier League is scrambling to appoint a successor to outgoing CEO Richard Scudamore after Discovery exec Susanna Dinnage pulled out of the top job over the holidays. Almost two months after being appointed CEO of the Premier League, Dinnage made a sudden U-turn on her decision last week, citing a change of heart. While […]

Discovery’s Susanna Dinnage to lead Premier League

Susanna Dinnage, the global president at Discovery’s Animal Planet, has been named as the Premier League’s chief executive. Dinnage will take the helm at Premier League, succeeding Richard Scudamore who has been with the organisation for 19 years. She will begin her role in 2019, but an exact date is yet to be determined. The […]

Rich Ross exiting post-Scripps deal Discovery

Discovery Communications has named the new management team that will lead the enlarged company after the Scripps Networks Interactive acquisition, with Discovery Channel boss Rich Ross out and Scripps programming chief Kathleen Finch put in charge of all lifestyle channels. Discovery said that Ross, currently group president of Discovery Channel and Science Channel, is to […]

Discovery restructures EMEA team

Discovery Communications is changing the structure of its EMEA business, after naming Susanna Dinnage as global president for Animal Planet in November. The move will see Discovery consolidate business units that were previously split into the UK, Nordics, Southern Europe and CEEMEA (Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa). Discovery believes that one […]

Leading US nets join SVOD streamer

A+E Networks, Discovery, AMC Networks and Viacom are among the major US broadcast groups confirming they will put channels on a new, factual- and entertainment-focused live TV streaming service. The new service, Philo, will be priced at US$16 a month, and will offer live TV streaming, DVR services and on-demand programming. It will have more […]

Discovery names global Animal Planet chief

Discovery Communications has named Susanna Dinnage as global president for pay TV channel Animal Planet, with general manager Patrice Andrews exiting. Discovery Networks UK and Ireland president Susanna Dinnage (pictured) has landed the post, which will see her jointly reporting to Discovery CEO and president David Zaslav and international chief executive J.B. Perrette. Discovery said […]

Discovery to create slate of Facebook originals

Discovery Communications has entered into a deal with Facebook to create a slate of original shows for the social media giant’s new video service. The deal will see Discovery develop “premium mid-form shows” for Facebook Watch. Some will be based on existing Discovery franchises and other exclusive to Facebook. The first is Celebrity Animal Encounters, […]

Animal Planet adapts Plimsoll’s rescue dog format

Discovery Communications-owned Animal Planet counts an adaptation of British-created format Rescue Dogs to Super Dogs on its 2017/18 slate. The series was announced at the Animal Planet upfront in New York yesterday, where new series such as Animal House (WT), Cat Meets Dog (WT) and My Fat Pet were also revealed. Rescue Dog to Super […]

Discovery buys Spurlock’s Rats

US cable net Discovery Channel has acquired rights to Morgan Spurlock’s new film, Rats. Discovery Communications’ flagship channel is now a partner on the documentary, which Spurlock’s Warrior Poets is producing in association with Dakota Group and film distributor Submarine, which has international sales rights and is shopping it at the Cannes Film Festival this […]

Animal Planet taps ex-ITV Studios exec for GM

US cable channel Animal Planet has hired ITV Studios America’s east coast COO as its new general manager. Patrice Andrews succeeds Rick Holzman, who left the Discovery Communications-owned network in November 2015 having held the GM post since 2014. Andrews joins Animal Planet in June, reporting to Rich Ross, group president of Discovery Channel, Animal […]