Travel Channel Originals To Move To Discovery+ As Factual Giant Experiments With Windowing
EXCLUSIVE: A number of long-running Travel Channel originals are set to move to Discovery+ as the factual giant ramps up its experimentation around windowing.
Deadline understands that a handful of Travel Channel originals, most notably in the paranormal space, will run first on the nascent streaming service rather than on the linear network.
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The move is the latest example of digital disruption in the traditional programming space as companies look to provide a boon for their streaming services in an effort to bolster subscriber numbers.
Linear networks have traditionally premiered shows before moving to streaming, but Discovery is in talks to “pre-premiere” a number of the Travel Channel’s most popular originals on Discovery+.
While many of these shows will likely eventually air on the linear cable network, it’s a sign of a shift in thinking at the David Zaslav-run company.
It is a similar strategy to that employed by Disney+ and Nat Geo, where the latter’s originals including The World According to Jeff Goldblum, The Right Stuff, Genius and Weird But True! moved to Disney+.
The exact Travel Channel titles that are set to move to Discovery+ have not yet been set in stone but Deadline understands that new seasons of shows such as the long-running Ghost Adventures and The Dead Files are among those that are under consideration for the shift.
A Ghost Adventures spin-off featuring the Cecil Hotel in LA – where Night Stalker Richard Ramirez was thought to have carried out some of his murder spree – was one of the initial launch shows for Discovery+.
The Travel Channel has largely pivoted towards the paranormal in recent years.
Discovery+ is also developing original series in this space and recently struck a multi-year exclusive deal with Hostel director Eli Roth to develop projects in the horror and paranormal realm.
The streamer launched on January 4 with 55,000 hour of programming with plans for originals including a number of 90 Day Fiancé spin-offs, topiary competition Clipped featuring Ugly Betty’s Michael Urie and Martha Stewart and a road-trip adventure series featuring Kevin Hart.
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