Discovery is making a free-streaming play in the U.K. and Ireland with the launch of Dplay. The ad-supported service launches this week. It will be programmed with content from Discovery’s bouquet of free-TV channels in the U.K., which includes Quest, Food Network, and former UKTV brands Really and Home.
The lineup of launch titles includes: “Salvage Hunters,” “Katie Price: My Crazy Life,” “Ghost Adventures,” and foodie series “Tom Kerridge: American Feast.”
The U.K. bow will bring the rollout of Dplay to ten markets. Discovery is also a partner with ProSiebenSat.1 in Joyn, the free German streamer that is being primed for international launch.
Discovery now has a portfolio of pay-TV, free-TV, and streaming services. Dplay in the U.K. is available to download for Apple and Android devices. It will be on partner platforms and roll out on additional devices in the first half of 2020, Discovery said.
“The launch of Dplay is the next step in our strategy to deliver to British audiences the best real life entertainment, whenever and wherever they want it,” said James Gibbons, EVP and general manager U.K., Ireland & ANZ at Discovery, U.K. “The free streaming service will also increase opportunities for advertisers to engage with audiences across multiple platforms.”
Off the back of Rakuten TV and Tubi launch announcements at Mipcom, and the continued expansion of Viacom’s Pluto TV and other services, analysts have highlighted that AVOD is currently white hot. While Netflix and Amazon continue to add subs in international markets, the on-demand competition is getting fierce, with multiple new paid-for and free services rolling out.