Pay television , also known as subscription television , premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel , refers to subscription -based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, but also increasingly via digital terrestrial and streaming television . In the United States, subscription television began in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the form of encrypted analog over-the-air broadcast television which could be decrypted with special equipment. The concept rapidly expanded through the multi-channel transition and into the post-network era . Other parts of the world beyond the United States, such as France and Latin America have also offered encrypted analog terrestrial signals available for subscription.
112-514: Eurosport is a group of pay television networks in Europe and parts of Asia. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery through its TNT Sports International unit, it operates two main channels— Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 —across most of its territories, and streams on Max and Discovery+ . Originally a joint venture between the European Broadcasting Union and Sky established in 1989, it
224-458: A TV Everywhere service offering access to live streaming and on-demand content from Discovery Communications' cable networks. In May 2016, Discovery initiated a restructuring plan aiming to save $ 40 to $ 60 million by the third quarter of 2016, including a shift in strategy to "maximize" its linear television business whilst plotting larger investments in content, digital media, sports, and international markets. In August 2016, Discovery purchased
336-469: A trial period , often one to three months, though there have been rare instances of free trials for pay services that last up to one year for newer subscribers to that provider's television service. Pay television has become popular with cable and satellite television . Pay television services often, at least two to three times per year, provide free previews of their services, in order to court potential subscribers by allowing this wider audience to sample
448-457: A vertically integrated media conglomerate ) with Discovery Inc. to form a new company, subject to regulatory approval. The merger, scheduled to be completed in mid-2022, would be structured as a Reverse Morris Trust ; AT&T shareholders will hold a 71% interest in the new company's stock and appoint seven board members, and Discovery shareholders will hold 29% and appoint six board members. AT&T will receive $ 43 billion in cash and debt from
560-428: A "lifestyle focused media network" with Discovery named after their personal company Magnolia. It was reported that Discovery had considered rebranding either DIY Network or Great American Country as this new channel. In April 2019, Discovery confirmed its Magnolia joint venture, which is scheduled to launch in 2020 and replace DIY Network, with an over-the-top subscription component to launch later. Magnolia Network
672-532: A core part of their life." With Discovery choosing 230 Park Avenue South as its new New York City headquarters, Discovery sold its former Silver Spring headquarters to Foulger-Pratt and Cerberus Capital Management in September 2018, and leased a smaller space at nearby 8403 Colesville Road. In November 2018, Chip and Joanna Gaines of the former HGTV series Fixer Upper announced on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , that they were in early talks to form
784-406: A crude decrypting of the over-the-air television signal and a decoding box, but never caught on for use at that time. It took another four decades when cable broadcasters started using pay-per-view on a widespread basis. "Free" variants are free-to-air (FTA) and free-to-view (FTV); however, FTV services are normally encrypted and decryption cards either come as part of an initial subscription to
896-536: A day care center inside were safely removed to a nearby McDonald's restaurant on Colesville Rd. Lee was shot and killed by an MCPD SWAT team at 4:48 p.m. ET after the hostages made a run to escape. The remaining hostages were immediately freed. The incident was described by the FBI as the first instance of a would-be suicide bomber taking hostages in the United States. Lee was an environmental protester who, in 2008,
1008-481: A focus on streaming services built around its properties. Discovery owned or had interests in local versions of its channel brands in international markets, in addition to its other major regional operations such as Eurosport (a pan-European group of sports channels, most prominently the rightsholder of the Olympic Games throughout most of Europe), GolfTV (an international golf -focused streaming service, which
1120-627: A focus on their parent companies' libraries, with HBO Now replaced by HBO Max (now Max) in 2020 (which adds content from other Warner Bros. properties and third-parties, and would also be included with existing HBO subscriptions via television providers), and Showtime formally merging with Paramount+ in 2023. Canadian premium service The Movie Network similarly merged with the CraveTV service owned by parent company Bell Media in 2018. Pay-per-view (PPV) services are similar to subscription-based pay television services in that customers must pay to have
1232-436: A joint venture with The New York Times . In June 2002, coinciding with Discovery's 17th anniversary, the company launched a 24/7 high definition channel known as Discovery HD Theater . In 2003, Discovery Communications moved its headquarters from Bethesda to Silver Spring . In 2003 and 2004, Discovery acquired academic film companies such as AGC, AIMS Multimedia, and Clearvue & SVE to form Discovery Education, which
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#17328455695361344-620: A joint venture with Hasbro to relaunch Discovery Kids as a new youth- and family-oriented entertainment channel. The channel, ultimately named The Hub , launched on October 10, 2010. After multiple delays, OWN officially launched on January 1, 2011. On March 17, 2009, Discovery Communications sued Amazon.com for patent infringement by its Kindle e-reader line, regarding "secure distribution of electronic text and graphics to subscribers and secure storage". The patents were originally developed by Discovery founder John Hendricks , who had been developing technologies related to e-books and
1456-501: A joint venture with Oprah Winfrey 's Harpo Productions to relaunch Discovery Health as a new service, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network , in 2009. In 2008, Discovery Times was relaunched as Investigation Discovery , a new brand that would be dedicated to true crime programs and documentaries. The company also formed its Emerging Networks Group, and named Clark Bunting as president and Clint Stinchcomb as executive vice president and general manager. On April 30, 2009, Discovery announced
1568-513: A lower subscription fee. These are called "mini-pay" channels (a term also used for smaller scale commercial-free pay television services) and are often sold as a part of a package with numerous similarly priced channels. Usually, however, the regular pricing for premium channels ranges from just under $ 10 to near $ 25 per month per suite, with lower prices available via bundling options with cable or satellite providers, or special limited offers which are available during free preview periods or before
1680-876: A majority stake at a later date. On July 31, 2017, Discovery announced it would acquire Scripps Networks Interactive , owner of networks such as Food Network , HGTV , and DIY Network , for $ 14.6 billion, pending regulatory approval. On March 6, 2018, the acquisition was completed, with the company renamed as Discovery, Inc. afterwards. Following the purchase, SNI shareholders owned 20% of Discovery's stock. Discovery retained an operational hub in SNI's home city of Knoxville , but planned to move its corporate headquarters from Silver Spring, Maryland, where it had operated since 2003, to New York City in late-2019. Discovery's brands were reorganized into two groups under different chief brand officers : SNI's chief programmer Kathleen Finch became chief brand officer of Lifestyle, overseeing TLC,
1792-660: A minority stake in the Hong Kong-based digital talent and content company VS Media; Discovery intended to have VS distribute Discovery Digital Networks content in China, and to offer their own resources to VS. In October 2016, Discovery purchased a minority stake in Group Nine Media , a digital media holding company consisting of Thrillist Media Group , NowThis , The Dodo and Discovery's digital network Seeker—for $ 100 million. The transaction gave Discovery an option to acquire
1904-535: A mix of original series, films, and specials. The shift towards SVOD has resulted in increasing competition within the sector, with media conglomerates having launched their own services (such as Disney+ , Paramount+ , Peacock , and Disney's acquisition of the majority of Hulu ) to compete, and existing premium networks such as HBO ( HBO Now ) and Showtime launching direct-to-consumer versions of their existing services to appeal to cord cutters . HBO and Showtime later absorbed their DTC offerings into wider services with
2016-556: A new logo and presentation style both on-air and off-air. The new on-air identity has been designed by Paris -based design company Les Télécréateurs. All localised Eurosport channels and the Eurosport website embraced the new identity. Having been one of the first channels to broadcast on the Astra 1 group of satellites, Eurosport was the last satellite channel in Europe to broadcast in an analogue format. On 30 April 2012, shortly after 03:00 CET,
2128-548: A pay television bouquet – in other words, an offer of pay-TV channels – or can be purchased for a one-time cost. FTA and FTV systems may still have selective access. ABC Australia is one example, as much of its programming content is free-to-air except for National Rugby League (NRL) games, which are encrypted. Discovery, Inc. Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City . Established in 1982,
2240-403: A potential sale in a memo to CW staffers, but added that "It's too early to speculate what might happen" and that the network "must continue to do what we do best." On January 26, 2022, it was reported that the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. was expected to close sometime during the second quarter of 2022. This was later narrowed down to mid-April 2022. On February 1, 2022, it
2352-559: A previous deal. It was a 3-year deal (2017–2019) that included exclusive TV and digital rights. This expanded their tennis portfolio to show all four Grand Slams. Eurosport signed a new deal in 2019 to broadcast Wimbledon exclusively in 11 countries. As of 2021, Eurosport broadcasts the Australian Open , French Open (except in France), US Open (except in the UK and Ireland), and Wimbledon (except in
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#17328455695362464-689: A restriction as a few providers optionally sell that service without requiring a Showtime subscription. Unlike other cable networks, premium services are almost always subscribed to a la carte , meaning that one can, for example, subscribe to HBO without subscribing to Showtime (in Canada, there are slight modifications, as most providers include U.S. superstations – such as WAPA-TV – with their main premium package by default). However, subscribing to an "individual" service automatically includes access to all of that service's available multiplex channels and, in some cases, access to content via video-on-demand (in
2576-764: A result, pay television outlets are most concerned with offering content that can justify the cost of the service, which helps to attract new subscribers, and retain existing subscribers. Many pay television services consist of multiple individual channels, referred to as " multiplex " services (in reference to multiplex cinemas ), where a main flagship channel is accompanied by secondary services with distinct schedules focusing on specific genres and audiences (such as multiplexes focusing more on "classic" films, or family-oriented programming), time shifting , or brand licensing deals (such as channels focusing specifically on Disney films , or content from U.S. pay television brands if they do not specifically run their own network in
2688-425: A seasonal package. They are typically the most expensive type of pay services, generally running in the range of $ 35 to $ 50 per month. Some pay services also offer pornographic films ; Cinemax was well known for carrying a late-night block of softcore films and series known as "Max After Dark"—a reputation that led to the network often being nicknamed "Skinemax" by viewers. Cinemax phased out this programming in
2800-557: A select number of events, such as the French Open and 2012 Summer Olympics . Eurosport DK was a Danish television channel owned by Discovery Networks Northern Europe . The channel replaced Canal 8 Sport and Eurosport 2 in Denmark on 1 July 2015. On 28 May 2015, Discovery Networks Northern Europe announced that they would merge Canal 8 Sport and Eurosport 2 into Eurosport DK in Denmark, broadcasting football from Danish Superliga ,
2912-540: A short time during the 1980s, and unlike other general-interest pay services accepted outside advertising for broadcast during its sports telecasts), Preview , SelecTV and ON TV in the late 1970s, but those services disappeared as competition from cable television expanded during the 1980s. In Australia , Foxtel , Optus Television and TransACT are the major pay television distributors, all of which provide cable services in some metropolitan areas , with Foxtel providing satellite service for all other areas where cable
3024-666: A specific channel to the region. Eurosport (Asia-Pacific) launched on 15 November 2009. The service is available in Australia through Foxtel , Optus and TransACT . On 3 November 2014, a HD simulcast launched on Foxtel. A supplementary channel featuring more live sports events, programming and news updates. Eurosport 2 launched on 10 January 2005 and is currently available in 35 countries, broadcasting in 22 different languages. Eurosport 2 describes itself as "the new generation sports channel", dedicated to team sports, alternative sports, discovery and entertainment including basketball (like
3136-401: A specific market). Typically, these services are bundled together with the main channel at no additional charge, and cannot be purchased separately. Depending on local regulations, pay television services generally have more lenient content standards because of their relatively narrower distribution, and not being subject to pressure from sponsors to tone down content. As a result, programming
3248-693: A stake in the sports channel, but received a share of the revenue. British Eurosport had live studio presentations of major sporting events and tournaments. On British Eurosport, James Richardson previously hosted the coverage of Serie A football on the Channel from 2002 to 2005 and 2004 UEFA European Football Championship with regular guests, including Alan Curbishley , DJ Spoony , former Chelsea players Paul Elliott , Ed de Goey , Ray Wilkins , Roberto Di Matteo and Carlo Cudicini , former England international Luther Blissett and European football journalists Gabriele Marcotti and Xavier Rivoire. Will Vanders
3360-483: A stake in the struggling CBS Eye on People channel; Discovery eventually acquired the remainder of CBS's stake, leading to its January 1999 relaunch as Discovery People . The network quietly folded in 2000, being replaced by other Discovery channels on providers. On September 1, 2001, Discovery Communications bought The Health Channel, and announced that it would be re-branded as FitTV . In 2002, Discovery relaunched Discovery Civilization as Discovery Times, as part of
3472-539: A stand-alone channel which provides a standardised version of the channel (Eurosport International in English). Alongside this, there are also local Eurosport channels in France, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Poland, Nordic region , Benelux region , and Asia Pacific . These channels offer greater sporting content with local sporting events, while also utilising the existing pan-European feed. The German version of Eurosport
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3584-474: A television network made specifically for dogs. In May 2014, Discovery and its shareholder Liberty Media acquired British television studio All3Media for $ 930 million in a 50/50 joint venture. The new ownership stated that All3Media would be operated as an independent company. In October 2014, Discovery acquired controlling interest in Hub Network from Hasbro and re-branded it as Discovery Family . During
3696-410: A young adult-oriented network into one that featured more unscripted and even national news programming. However, reports also indicated that WarnerMedia and ViacomCBS could include a contractual commitment that would require any new owner to buy new programming from those companies, allowing them to reap some continual revenue through the network. Network president/CEO Mark Pedowitz confirmed talks of
3808-481: Is Canal+ and its scrambled services, which operated in France from 1984 to the 2011 closedown of analogue television, Spain from 1990 to 2005 and Poland from 1995 to 2001. Some U.S. television stations launched pay services (known simply as "subscription television" services) such as SuperTV , Wometco Home Theater , PRISM (which principally operated as a cable service, only being simultaneously carried over-the-air for
3920-701: Is not available. Austar formerly operated as a satellite pay service, until it merged with Foxtel and SelecTV . The major distributors of pay television in New Zealand are Sky Network Television on satellite and Vodafone on cable. In the 2010s, over-the-top subscription video on demand (SVOD) services distributed via internet video emerged as a major competitor to traditional pay television, with services such as Amazon Video , Hulu , and Netflix gaining prominence. Similarly to pay television services, their libraries include acquired content (which can not only include films, but acquired television series as well), and
4032-508: Is now led by Jeremy Cowdrey, former CEO of Imagine Learning. In 2019, Discovery Communications moved its headquarters to New York City , keeping 300 employees in a smaller hub in Silver Spring. Former NBCUniversal executive David Zaslav was named president and CEO of Discovery Communications on November 16, 2006. In the years that followed, Zaslav placed a major focus on bolstering Discovery's core networks, programming, and expanding
4144-547: Is the foundation for an in development global cycling OTT service. On April 1, 2019, after a previous agreement with the broadcaster lapsed six years prior, Discovery announced a 10-year global content partnership with BBC Studios , under which it will become the exclusive subscription video-on-demand rightsholder of programming from the BBC Natural History Unit (which will become the basis of an international subscription service by 2020) outside of China, Ireland, and
4256-692: Is the international digital rightsholder of the PGA Tour ), Discovery Communications Nordic (which operates general-interest channels in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland), TVN Group in Poland, and a portfolio of various free-to-air channels in Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. In May 2021, AT&T announced its proposal to merge its media subsidiary WarnerMedia with Discovery, Inc. The transaction
4368-564: Is the main channel of Eurosport. A high-definition simulcast version of Eurosport launched on 25 May 2008. The first event covered in HD was the 2008 French Open at Roland Garros . On 13 November 2015 it changed its name to Eurosport 1 HD. In Europe, Eurosport 1 is generally available in basic cable and satellite television packages. Since 1999, Eurosport 1 provides various opt-out services providing more relevant sporting content specific to language, advertising and commentary needs. Eurosport offers
4480-461: Is the main rights holder of the Olympic Games in most of Europe, as well as (with some exceptions) the tennis Grand Slam tournaments . The network of channels is available in 54 countries, in 20 different languages, providing viewers with European and international sporting events. Eurosport had 157 million subscribers in 2019, while the Eurosport 2 channel had an audience of 87 million viewers. For
4592-435: Is the only one available free-to-air on European digital satellite television . Eurosport 1 is currently broadcast in 23 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch , Swedish , Norwegian , Danish, Finnish, Icelandic , Russian, Polish , Czech, Slovak, Hungarian , Romanian , Bulgarian , Serbian , Greek, Turkish , Cantonese , and Croatian . In Asia-Pacific territories, Eurosport offers
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4704-717: Is typically aired with limited to no edits for time or, where applicable, mature content such as graphic violence , profanity , nudity , and sexual activity . As premium television services are commonly devoid of traditional commercial advertising, breaks between programming typically include promotions for upcoming programs , and interstitial segments (such as behind-the-scenes content, interviews, and other feature segments). Some sports-based pay services, however, may feature some commercial advertising, particularly if they simulcast sporting events that are broadcast by advertiser-supported television networks. In addition, most general interest or movie-based pay services do not adhere to
4816-595: The 16:9 'widescreen' ratio. After the collapse of Setanta Sports , rights for the 2009 season in the USPGA Golf tour reverted to British Eurosport. On 25 July 2012, British Eurosport HD launched on the Sky, UPC Ireland and Virgin Media platforms, this replaced the pan-European Eurosport HD in the UK and Ireland. British Eurosport 2 HD launched on 3 September 2012 on the Sky platform. Virgin Media has also carried Eurosport 3D to broadcast
4928-541: The Bundesliga , Major League Soccer , Capital One Cup , UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying , tennis from ATP Tour , WTA Tour and 3 Grand Slams , cycling from UCI World Tour , Winter sport , Motorsports . On 15 February 2016, the channel was replaced by Eurosport 2 . Eurosport 3 , Eurosport 4 and Eurosport 5 (and their HD equivalents) were additional channels created for the 2018 Winter Olympics broadcasting Olympic Broadcasting Services live and highlights streams for
5040-535: The Wimbledon tennis tournament. Specialty pay sports channels also exist—often focusing on international sports considered niche to domestic audiences (such as, in the United States, cricket ), and are typically sold at a higher expense than traditional premium services. Out-of-market sports packages in North America are multi-channel pay services carrying professional or collegiate sporting events which are sold in
5152-555: The business cycle , some broadcasters try to balance them with more stable income from subscriptions. Some providers offer services owned by the same company in a single package. For example, American satellite provider DirecTV offers the Encore channels along with the Starz multiplex (both owned by Lionsgate 's Starz Inc. ) in its "Starz Super Pack"; and The Movie Channel , Flix and SundanceTV (the latter of which continues to be sold in
5264-402: The digitization of television programs. While Discovery had divested the television-related patents, it retained the e-book patents. Amazon subsequently accused Discovery of violating a patent for an "Internet-based customer referral system"; The two parties settled in 2011. On October 4, 2011, due to the wider implementation of high-definition feeds for mainstream cable channels, HD Theater
5376-586: The 2010s, citing that it did not align with its current focus on action programming, and that internet porn and the amount of sexual content in other mainstream premium series (such as Game of Thrones ) made a specific block for such content redundant. Specialized channels dedicated to pornographic films also exist, that carry either softcore adult programs (such as Playboy TV ), or more hardcore content (such as The Erotic Network and Hustler TV ). Pay television channels come in different price ranges. Many channels carrying advertising combine this income with
5488-459: The 2011 and 2012 French Open and 2012 Summer Olympics . UPC Ireland also broadcast Eurosport 3D for the 2011 French Open . Throughout the duration of the 2012 Summer Olympics, Eurosport 3D also broadcast on the Sky 3D channel. On 13 November 2015 British Eurosport was replaced by localised versions of Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 1 HD. In April 2010, Eurosport 3D launched but was only broadcast during
5600-738: The BBC. In December 2020, Discovery announced that it would launch Discovery+ in the United States on January 4, 2021, which would feature new exclusive programming from across Discovery's brands, and previews of Magnolia Network (whose linear launch had since been delayed to 2022). In May 2021, Discovery formed a multi-platform content partnership with the Georgia Aquarium . On May 17, 2021, AT&T announced that it had reached an agreement to merge its content and broadcasting subsidiary, WarnerMedia (the former Time Warner, which AT&T had acquired in 2018 for just over $ 85 billion in an attempt to become
5712-467: The DirecTV package despite Showtime Networks no longer owning Sundance, that channel is now owned by AMC Networks ) along with Showtime in its "Showtime Unlimited" package; Cinemax and its multiplex networks, in turn, are almost always packaged with HBO (both owned by Warner Bros. Discovery ). Though selling premium services that are related by ownership as a package is common, that may not always be
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#17328455695365824-577: The Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, prompting an evacuation of the building. Lee's motive was believed to have been grounded in environmental activism . Lee had previously been arrested in 2008 while protesting in front of the same site. The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland has since labeled
5936-505: The Eurosport venture with TF1 in January 2014, taking a 51 per cent share of the company. On 22 July 2015 Discovery agreed to acquire TF1's remaining 49 per cent stake in the venture. On 13 November 2015, Eurosport introduced its new brand identity and changed the name of its main channel to Eurosport 1 . In 2016, Eurosport expanded its deal with The All England Club to show all the Wimbledon matches live in 19 countries, up from three under
6048-545: The Italian LBA ), Twenty20 Cricket , Bundesliga , National Lacrosse League , Arena Football League , surfing , Volleyball Champions League , Australian Rules Football matches from the Australian Football League , Bandy World Championships and more. Eurosport 2 was branded as Eurosport DK in Denmark. On 15 February 2016, this channel was replaced by Eurosport 2. Eurosport 2 HD, a high-definition version of
6160-452: The TLC and Food Network programs Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes ), and a revival of TLC's While You Were Out incorporating HGTV personalities. On August 3, 2017, Discovery announced that it would contribute Velocity into a joint venture with the digital, live events, and direct-to-consumer businesses of automotive publisher TEN: The Enthusiast Network. Discovery will hold a majority stake in
6272-447: The UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy and Germany. In 2008, Eurosport launched an online subscription service, Eurosport Player, that allows internet users to watch both Eurosport and Eurosport 2 live, plus additional coverage not available via broadcast. During the 2009 Australian Open, the internet player offered coverage from five courts. On 5 April 2011, Eurosport rebranded its channel. The rebrand incorporated six new on-air idents along with
6384-539: The UK, where the finals are a designated event that must be shown via public broadcasting). In February 2017, Discovery launched the channel in India, branded as DSport which was later renamed to Eurosport in 2020. The channel was made available on various platforms in both SD and HD feeds. On 5 January 2021, Discovery began to phase out Eurosport Player in favour of its new streaming service Discovery+ . On 11 May 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery (a new company formed after
6496-469: The UK. In addition, Discovery and the BBC reached an agreement to break up their UKTV joint venture (which was inherited from Scripps), with Discovery acquiring the BBC's shares in the Good Food , Home , and Really channels, and BBC Studios acquiring Discovery's shares in the seven remaining channels, and its streaming platform UKTV Play . Home was later rebranded as a local version of HGTV, and Good Food
6608-431: The United States, Cinemax , HBO , MGM+ , Showtime , and Starz , but such services can also include those devoted to sports , as well as adult entertainment . In contrast to most other multichannel television broadcasters, which depend on advertising and carriage fees as their sources of revenue, the majority of pay television services rely almost solely on monthly subscription fees paid by individual customers. As
6720-413: The aforementioned Motor Trend -branded network were described as being examples of this strategy. Food Network Kitchen would also launch in 2019, with a focus on live and on-demand cooking classes. In June 2018, Discovery announced a 12-year agreement to acquire the international media rights to the PGA Tour , with plans to develop an international streaming service to house these rights. The service
6832-733: The aforementioned leniency in content standards, they too can contain content that is more mature than those of other cable channels or television networks . These series also tend to be high-budget and aim for critical success in order to attract subscribers: notable premium series, such as HBO 's Curb Your Enthusiasm , Game of Thrones , Sex and the City , and The Sopranos , and Showtime 's Dexter , Homeland , and Weeds , have achieved critical acclaim and have won various television awards. Some premium channels also broadcast television specials , which most commonly consist of concerts and concert films , documentaries , stand-up comedy , and in
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#17328455695366944-850: The brand Sky Europe . Eurosport was closed down in May 1991 after rival Screensport channel filed a complaint to the European Commission over the corporate structure. The channel was saved later that month when the TF1 Group (formed after the French government privatised the post ORTF -split TF1 5 years prior to the acquisition) stepped in to replace BSkyB as joint owners. It was able to restart its broadcast after 10 days. Broadcasting hours were restricted to 1pm to 11pm, later 8am until midnight before settling at 7.30am and 1am. Its overnight hours were occupied by shopping channel The Quantum Channel. On 1 March 1993,
7056-419: The broadcast decrypted for viewing, but usually only entail a one-time payment for a single or time-limited viewing. Programs offered via pay-per-view are most often movies or sporting events, but may also include other events, such as concerts and even softcore adult programs. In the U.S., the initial concept and technology for pay-per-view for broadcast television was first developed in the early 1950s, including
7168-460: The cable and satellite channel Screensport merged with Eurosport. Five days later, that channel's transponder space was taken over by RTL II . Eurosport eventually came under a French consortium comprising the TF1 Group , Canal+ Group and Havas Images. In January 2001, TF1 took full ownership of Eurosport. In May 2007, Yahoo! Europe and Eurosport formed a co-branded website which Eurosport used as its web portal, including an online TV guide, in
7280-571: The channel, is also available. Eurosport 2 HD Xtra is a German pay-TV channel launched in 2017. Eurosport bought Germany-only rights for Bundesliga, Supermoto and other broadcasting rights. Eurosport 2 has no German-only signal and Eurosport 1 is free-to-air, so the new channel was needed. Eurosport India is the Indian version of the channel launched in February 2017 as DSport. It was made available on major DTH platforms and cable networks across India during
7392-428: The common top and bottom of the hour scheduling of other cable channels and terrestrial broadcasters. As such, programs often air using either conventional scheduling or have airtimes in five-minute increments (for example, 7:05 a.m. or 4:40 p.m.); since such channels broadcast content without in-program break interruptions, this sometimes leads to extended or abbreviated breaks between programs, depending on when
7504-419: The company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Channel , Animal Planet , Science Channel , and TLC . In 2018, the company acquired Scripps Networks Interactive , adding networks such as Food Network , HGTV , and Travel Channel to its portfolio. Since the purchase, Discovery described itself as serving members of "passionate" audiences, and also placed
7616-584: The company's Series C common stock on or about August 6, 2014. In November 2014, Curiosity was spun out as a venture-funded startup , receiving $ 6 million in funding. In November 2015, Discovery Communications and Liberty Global paid approximately $ 195 million for a 3.4% stake in Lionsgate Entertainment with Discovery CEO David Zaslav joining the Lionsgate board of directors as part of the acquisition. In December 2015, Discovery launched Discovery Go,
7728-553: The company's reach into digital media . He described these goals as reflecting an expansion into becoming a "content company" rather than just a "cable company". In March 2007, Discovery sold its stake in Travel Channel back to Cox Communications , in exchange for the stake in Discovery that Cox owned. Cox would later sell the controlling interest in the channel to Scripps Networks Interactive in 2009. In June 2008, Discovery Home
7840-696: The contract between Eurosport and Fetch TV ended. Eurosport EPL Romania was a channel owned by Eurosport, which broadcast the English Premier League in Romania. It acquired the rights from the Premier League to broadcast the 2013–14 Premier League season. It was closed in 2022. Eurosport Gold Russia was a channel owned by Eurosport which broadcast the National Hockey League in Russia. It acquired
7952-449: The crime a terrorist attack . The incident began at 1:00 p.m. ET , when the 43-year-old Lee entered the building with two starter pistols and fired a single round at the ceiling of the lobby. The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) confirmed that Lee had an explosive device and was holding three people hostage in the lobby. The building was placed on lockdown and most of the 1,500 employees were evacuated. Children from
8064-525: The duration of the Olympic Winter Games. A sports news channel was on air from 1 September 2000 to 4 January 2018, featuring live scores , highlights, breaking news and commentary. The service combined video, text and graphics with the screen divided into 4 parts: a video section displaying highlights and news bulletins, a breaking news ticker at the bottom and a scoring section for in-depth analysis of results and game stats. In 2016, Eurosport bought
8176-558: The false heroics behind those actions ". His manifesto also railed against "immigration pollution and anchor baby filth", leading commentators such as Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center to decry Lee as an " eco-fascist ". Lee's opinions were dominated by Malthusian analysis, though he also cited works ranging from Daniel Quinn 's novel My Ishmael to former U.S. Vice President Al Gore 's documentary An Inconvenient Truth . The Washington Post credited
8288-644: The form of a conventional VOD television service, and in some cases, a companion on-demand streaming service as well). Most pay television providers also offer a selection of premium services (for example, the HBO, Showtime and Starz packages) in one bundle at a greatly reduced price than it would cost to purchase each service separately, as an inducement for subscribers to remain with their service provider or for others to induce subscribers into using their service. Similarly, many television providers offer general interest or movie-based premium channels at no additional charge for
8400-454: The launch of a network's prestige series. However, some other channels, such as sports and adult networks may ask for monthly pricing that may go as high as near $ 50 a month. There are also premium television services which are priced significantly higher than the mini-pay channels, but they compensate for their higher price by carrying little or no advertising and also providing a higher quality program output. As advertising sales are sensitive to
8512-402: The launch. The channel's primary focus would not be cricket , as per the press meet at the launch. The current offering from the channel includes less popular football leagues, cricket premier leagues, wrestling, fighting, golf, motor sports, horse racing, cycling and rugby. The channel is only available in high-definition format. However, few DTH operators downscale the feed to be presented with
8624-487: The merger of Discovery with WarnerMedia ) announced an agreement to contribute Eurosport's UK operations into a joint venture with BT Group and BT Sport . WBD will serve as managing partner of the joint venture; the two networks will operate separately for an interim period, after which they will combine their operations under a new name. As part of the agreement, WBD also negotiated a deal for BT Group to distribute Discovery+ to its television and BT Sport subscribers. This
8736-647: The merger was approved by the Brazilian antitrust regulator Cade . It was approved by the United States Department of Justice two days later. The transaction was approved by Discovery shareholders on March 11, and formally completed on April 8, 2022. On September 1, 2010, the Discovery headquarters were the site of a hostage taking; a lone gunman identified as James J. Lee ( c. 1967 – September 1, 2010), armed with two starter pistols and an explosive device , took three people hostage inside of
8848-537: The mobile gaming studio Playdemic from WBIE for US$ 1.4 billion in the same month. In September 2021, Fox Corporation acquired TMZ from WarnerMedia in a deal worth about $ 50 million with TMZ being operated under the Fox Entertainment division. In November 2021, Discovery and WarnerMedia discussed a plan to combine the two streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery+ , into one streaming service in two phases: an initial phase that allows for quick bundling of
8960-465: The most amazing stories to life, with Discovery's global brand that has always stood brightly for integrity, innovation and inspiration". On June 7, 2021, Discovery announced that it would divest Great American Country to GAC Media , a new Fort Worth-based investment group led by Tom Hicks and former Crown Media Holdings CEO Bill Abbott . Electronic Arts , who were a bidder in the proposed sale of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment , purchased
9072-591: The most part, there is no on-screen presenter, only unseen commentators, allowing the same video feed to be used in multiple markets with different language audio. Prior to the creation of Eurosport, the European Broadcasting Union had acquired substantial amounts of sports rights, yet its members were only able to broadcast a fraction of them. This provided the impetus for setting up the Eurosport Consortium, made up of several EBU members, to establish an outlet where these rights could be exploited. Sky Television
9184-584: The network and Discovery through 2025. Harpo Productions retains a "significant minority stake" in the venture. In February 2018, Discovery sold a majority stake in Discovery Education to the private equity firm Francisco Partners. During its 2018 upfronts, Zaslav stated that the company was now strongly focused on serving "passionate fans and passionate audiences", and was preparing to increase its focus on direct-to-consumer offerings targeting such audiences. The SNI purchase, Eurosport's Olympics rights, and
9296-494: The original term of license agreements with a distributor may also be broadcast as "sub-runs", in which a service holds rights to film long after the conclusion of a distribution agreement (under this arrangement, the pay service that originally licensed the rights to a particular film title, or one other than that which had held rights, may hold the broadcast rights through a library content deal). Many general interest premium channels also produce original television series . Due to
9408-587: The past, theatrical plays . Sports programming is also featured on some premium services; HBO was historically known for its broadcasts of boxing , while Showtime and Epix also carry mixed martial arts events. Some general interest premium channels have aired other professional sporting events in the past: HBO for example, carried games from the National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA) in its early years, and from 1975 to 1999 aired
9520-521: The previous program concludes and when the start time of the next program is. The only universal variation to this is prime time , where the main channel in each pay service's suite usually schedules films to start on the hour. Films comprise much of the content seen on most pay television services, particularly those with a general entertainment format and those that focus exclusively on films . Services often obtain rights to films through exclusive agreements with film distributors . Films acquired during
9632-457: The rest of the remaining analogue channels at 19.2 East ceased transmission. Eurosport's analogue channel finally ceased transmission on 1 May 2012 at 01:30 CET, marking the end of an era in European satellite broadcasting. On 21 December 2012, Discovery Communications purchased a 20 per cent minority interest share in Eurosport from TF1 Group for €170m. Discovery became the majority shareholder in
9744-444: The rights for Formula One for Portugal and created a pay-TV channel for the occasion. It ended on the next year, after one season and the F1 went back to SportTV . The channel had more Motorsport competitions, such as Formula E , WTCC , and Dakar Rally . Eurosport Australia was a short-lived sports television channel available until 7 December 2020. It was available on Fetch TV until
9856-537: The rights from the NHL to broadcast the 2017–18 NHL season. On 9 March 2022, Discovery Inc. closed Eurosport Gold due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As an international channel, Eurosport's performance differs significantly between countries. The figures below show Eurosport 1 's share of overall viewing in some countries. Pay television The term is most synonymous with premium entertainment services focused on films or general entertainment programming such as, in
9968-470: The same month of that year, Discovery Communications announced a special dividend of shares of the company's Series C common stock payable to holders of record of the company's Series A common stock, Series B common stock and Series C common stock as of the close of business on July 28, 2014. As a result of the dividend, each holder of a share of the company's Series A common stock, Series B common stock or Series C common stock will receive one additional share of
10080-529: The service for a period of days or weeks; these are typically scheduled to showcase major special event programming, such as the pay cable premiere of a blockbuster feature film, the premiere (either a series or season premiere ) of a widely anticipated or critically acclaimed original series or occasionally, a high-profile special (such as a concert). Subscription services transmitted via analogue terrestrial television have also existed, to varying degrees of success. The most known example of such service in Europe
10192-575: The services and a second phase that allows for a common service on one tech platform. In the same month, it was announced that Discovery will rename itself Warner Bros. Discovery and reclassify and convert its stock into stock of WBD. On December 22, 2021, it was announced that the transaction was approved by the European Commission and it is expected to be completed in mid-2022, subject to approval by Discovery shareholders and additional closing conditions. On January 5, 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that WarnerMedia and Paramount Global (at
10304-465: The situation: for example, in the United States, Cinemax and Encore are optionally sold separately from or in a single package with their respective parent networks HBO and Starz, depending on the service provider. The Movie Channel and Flix meanwhile, are usually sold together with Showtime (all three channels are owned by Paramount Global ); though subscribers are required to purchase Showtime in order to receive Flix, The Movie Channel does not have such
10416-571: The six former Scripps channels, and Discovery's other lifestyle networks. Rich Ross , who formerly served as group president of Discovery and Science, stepped down, and would be replaced by TLC president Nancy Daniels as chief brand officer of Discovery & Factual. An on-air result of the acquisition were multiple programs featuring crossovers between TLC and Scripps talent, such as the Food Network series Buddy vs. Duff (a cake design competition series starring Buddy Valastro and Duff Goldman of
10528-461: The spin-off. Zaslav will lead the new company. He stated that the new company's goal would be to "[tell] the most amazing stories and have a ton of fun doing it", and emphasized that the two companies spend over $ 20 billion annually on content (outpacing Disney , Netflix and even Amazon ). The company will aim to expand their streaming services (which includes WarnerMedia's HBO Max ) to reach 400 million global subscribers. On June 1, 2021, it
10640-412: The standard-definition bouquet. As of 2018, Eurosport India was available to over 110 million households in India. In the UK, British Eurosport launched in 1999, replacing Eurosport International on most platforms, with some schedule variations and local commentary. The launch of British Eurosport and creation of programming specifically for the UK was initially funded by Premium TV , which did not have
10752-431: The time known as ViacomCBS) were exploring a possible sale of either a majority stake or all of The CW , and that Nexstar Media Group (which became The CW's largest affiliate group when it acquired former WB co-owner Tribune Broadcasting in 2019) was considered a leading bidder. The news led to speculation that, should a sale take place, new ownership could steer the network in a new direction, transforming The CW from
10864-555: The venture; it will not include TEN's print brands, but there will be opportunities for cross-promotion. In April 2018, it was announced that TEN had been renamed Motor Trend Group , and that Velocity would be re-branded as an extension of its namesake magazine Motor Trend . In December 2017, Discovery announced that it would acquire an additional 24.5% stake in OWN that it did not already own, for $ 70 million. Oprah Winfrey will remain as CEO of OWN, and extended her exclusivity agreement with
10976-403: Was announced that the merged company would be known as Warner Bros. Discovery , and an interim wordmark was unveiled with the tagline "The stuff dreams are made from"—a line from the 1941 Warner Bros. film The Maltese Falcon . Zaslav stated that the name would reflect "the combination of Warner Bros.' fabled hundred-year legacy of creative, authentic storytelling and taking bold risks to bring
11088-597: Was approved by the European Commission in December 2021 and was completed on April 8, 2022, forming Warner Bros. Discovery . The company was established in 1982 in Landover, Maryland as the Cable Educational Network. Its namesake and flagship brand, Discovery Channel , first launched on June 17, 1985. In 1991, Discovery Channel's owners acquired The Learning Channel . Three years later, Cable Educational Network
11200-475: Was briefly ranked ahead of Chris Bailey , Nick Brown , Andrew Castle , Nick Fulwood , Mark Petchey , and James Turner , in May 1989). British Eurosport covered the snooker season, including ranking events not broadcast by BBC Television such as the Shanghai Masters and China Open . Neal Foulds and former world champion Joe Johnson were among the commentators. Tour de France coverage in 2014
11312-430: Was briefly shut down in 1991 following complaints by competitor Screensport . It was subsequently acquired by TF1 Group , and later merged with Screensport. For a period, it was a joint venture between TF1, Canal+ Group , and Havas Images. TF1 Group later bought out the other owners' shares. In 2012, Discovery Communications began to take an ownership in Eurosport, eventually leading to a full buyout in 2015. Eurosport
11424-457: Was chosen as a commercial partner to the EBU project, and the channel launched at 6pm on 5 February 1989. It largely replaced the original Sky Channel (later rebranded Sky One ) on European cable systems. Sky Channel refocused to serve only the United Kingdom and Ireland. For a period of time, some of Sky Channel's former pan-European programming was broadcast in the hours before Eurosport's startup, under
11536-415: Was closed in favor of the local version of Food Network. On May 13, 2019, Discovery announced that it would acquire Golf Digest from Condé Nast to integrate into its Discovery Golf division. In March 2020, Discovery began to deploy a new direct-to-consumer brand known as Discovery+ , initially in India, which would focus on content from across its factual and lifestyle television brands, as well as
11648-670: Was commentated on by Carlton Kirby (following the departure of David Harmon) with veteran cyclist Sean Kelly as the "technical expert". The duo continued to commentate in 2015 and an additional pre- and post-programme was broadcast, "Lemond on Tour". This was presented by Ashley House with comment and analysis from Eurosport Cycling Ambassador Greg LeMond . Additional interviews were provided by Spanish cycling journalist Laura Meseguer and former pro racing cyclist Juan Antonio Flecha . David Goldstrom commentated on ski jumping and ski flying coverage from 1999. On 10 February 2009, British Eurosport started to broadcast most of its programming in
11760-405: Was given six months of supervised probation and fined $ 500 after he was arrested during a protest outside the Discovery Communications headquarters. Lee had published criticisms of the network in an online manifesto at Savetheplanetprotest.com, among which was a demand for the company to cease the broadcasting of television series displaying or encouraging the birth of " parasitic human infants and
11872-486: Was known for his coverage of K-1 events, and greeted the viewers in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Thai to introduce the martial arts show, Fight Club , on Monday nights. For tennis, studio presentation for the Australian Open , French Open , U.S. Open and WTA Tour Championships on British Eurosport was hosted by Annabel Croft with the segment Hawk-Eye presented by former British number 2 Jason Goodall . (Goodall
11984-584: Was officially announced in October 2018 as GolfTV , with Eurosport executive vice president Alex Kaplan named the president and general manager of Discovery Golf. Former Amazon executive Peter Faricy, who was named Discovery's chief executive of global direct-to-consumer operations in August 2018, considered GolfTV consistent with the aforementioned strategy, as golf was one of several sports "where people's passions and their interest in participating and learning more becomes
12096-521: Was originally scheduled to launch on October 4, 2020, but it was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States . It was also announced that Fixer Upper would be revived for the new channel. In January 2019, Discovery increased its ownership of Play Sports Group, operator of the YouTube channel Global Cycling Network , to 71%. Discovery previously acquired a 20% share in 2017. The group
12208-444: Was relaunched as Velocity , a new "upscale male" network focusing on automotive programming. On May 26, 2012, Planet Green (which had begun to abandon its original concept in 2010 due to poor viewership) was relaunched as Destination America . In January 2014, Discovery launched Curiosity , a website that aggregates online education content. In April 2014, Discovery made an investment and strategic partnership with Dog TV ,
12320-533: Was renamed Discovery Communications. In October 1996, Discovery launched several new spin-off networks, including Animal Planet , and the digital cable channels Discovery Kids , Discovery Travel & Living , Discovery Civilization , and Science Channel . This was followed by the 1997 purchase of a 70% stake in Travel Channel , and the 1998 launches of Discovery en Español , Discovery Wings , and Discovery Health Channel . Also in 1998, Discovery acquired
12432-431: Was replaced by Planet Green , a network devoted primarily to environmentalism and sustainable living . In 2007, according to Crunchbase , TreeHugger was acquired by Discovery Communications on August 1, 2007, for $ 10 million. In 2012, Mother Nature Network , founded by Joel Babbit and Chuck Leavell (now Narrative Content Group) acquired TreeHugger. On January 15, 2008, Discovery announced that it had entered into
12544-423: Was reported that AT&T had elected to structure the merger as a spin-off of WarnerMedia, followed by a merger with Discovery Inc. to form the new company. The company had been contemplating structuring the transaction as a split-off (under which AT&T shareholders would be given the option as to whether to exchange their shares for those of the new company, rather than receive them pro rata ). On February 7,
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