Q. I want to know if I will lose my Discovery channels on DIRECTV on January 4 when Discovery+ starts. I will not be happy if I lose them because I have paid for them on DIRECTV. I will drop DIRECTV if I lose them. — Edie, Tecula, Texas.
Edie, let me first explain what Discovery+ is for readers who have not heard of it.
Discovery+, which does debut on Monday, January 4, is a new streaming service that will offer On Demand programming from HGTV, the Food Network, TLC, ID, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel. There will also be original programming featuring topics and personalities from those channels, such as Chip and Joanna Gaines, Bobby Flay, Ree Drummond, Guy Fieri, and Giada De Laurentiis,.
Discovery officials say its catalog will include 55,000 episodes of 2,500 current and previous-season shows on the aforementioned Discovery channels as well as select A&E, History and Lifetime programs, including The First 48, Dance Moms, Ice Road Truckers, Married at First Sight, and 60 Days In.
Click Amazon: See the New Year Specials!
The basic cost will be $4.99 a month, but an ad-free plan will be available for $6.99 a month. Discovery says it will be available on “your favorite devices,” but it has to publish a list. So we’ll see if it’s on Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV, the nation’s three leading streaming platforms.
Update: Discovery’s site now says the new service will be available on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TVs, the Xbox One, iPhones, iPads and laptops and computers.
Now to your question: Discovery+ will not affect the Discovery channels that are currently in your DIRECTV lineup, or any other pay TV service’s lineup. It’s a separate service that you subscribe to via the Internet. After it launches, Discovery will not suddenly remove its channels.
Edie, hope that helps. Happy viewing, and stay safe!
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— Phillip Swann
What about all the other Discovery apps like Animal Planet? Will they be removed from our iPads?
I’ve read where at least one new episode of Ghost Adventures will only be available on Discovery+. What’s up with that?
The advertising for Discovery+ is “new” content only seen on Discovery+ so how can us DirecTV subscribers see this? We already pay for exclusive packages. Chip and Joanna, we can watch a teaser on DirecTV and then pay Discovery+ to continue watching. You say we’re not going to lose our channels. But are we getting the most updated programs?
The answer yes you WILL LOSE the upcoming seasons if your hooked your screwed. They expect us to pay for directtv, Disney+, discovery+ HBO plus and then on top of this pay for extended cable, Hulu, straight HBO, Cinemax, showtime lifetime, and Netflix and I’m sure I missed a few. We already pay. 200 a month for aster internet, plus direct TVs crazy fee, we spent 2 months without NBC because Comcast got greedy and now they dig deeper 6.99 for REALITY TV? Sorry it’s not that good I will just stop watching those shows I have kids to feed assholes
Could not have said it better
Agreed…Greedy is all I can say about this Discovery + BS…I already fork out a lot of money to watch practically nothing on Direct TV and now everyone wants to lure us in to pay more for shows they know we enjoy!!! About to be Adios Direct TV period!!!!
Discovery+ will be available on every major streaming device when it launches. It is similar to Disney+ & ESPN+ in that it will co-exist with the live channels on Cable, Satellite, & Live TV Streaming Services. Yes there will be original exclusive programming on Discovery+ to encourage people to subscribe to the streaming service.
I need to know will I have to pay extra for property brothers forever homes, Joanna and Chip Magnolia store among other subjects on discovery +
Whew, glad this will not remove the regular Discovery Channels we now watch. Seriously, do they really think we are dying to watch some of these shows for $4.99 more? However, I guess if they get enough takers (as there are always people who will pay for anything, money is no object, etc), it will just be a matter of time before all of these streaming avenues will become pay-per-view, ala carte, etc.
You won’t lose the channels but will/did lose a lot of shows. Unfortunately, many of them are moving exclusively to Discovery+. For example, no more Crikey It’s The Irwins, The Zoo: San Diego, Dr. Pimple Popper & a lot of Ghost type shows, etc. on TV (without Discovery+).
Thus the point! All the shows I enjoy! Replacing them with junk no one watches doesn’t help. Oh trust, they knew what they were doing financially but the sad, and moreover STUPID thing, is they could’ve kept everything the same AND started this streaming service, doubling their income, and T.V. watchers would’ve continued to watch while the gained an entire other viewing group of streamers!
Garbage shows not worth watching
You keep the channels only to watch reruns. All the new seasons is on Discovery + pay DirecTV, cable, or other providers for reruns pay Discovery+ for new seasons of your programs. You need to contact your providers and ask why pay for them if you only get reruns.
I have Optimum, will I lose any of these channels on this service. I have all HGTV, Foodnetwork, Animal Planet etc and watch and record all new shows.
You will not lose them.
But we *will* lose access to new episodes. Will new episode ever air on cable or satellite?
But we did lose our new seasons, which is why we pay for those specific packages…screw Discovery+
Yes you do! All new shows moved to Discovery+. If you have record new seasons you get none. Don’t you watch DirecTV, or Cable? Everything is reruns or they moved to another channel only to say new.
While entire channels may not be leaving cable, some shows have started to put up the “we’re moving” sign. To add to the sting, they drop a new episode of your favorite show on cable and while you’re enjoying it, they inform you that they will no longer be showing you any new episodes. Those are only streaming on discovery+. Not happy.
So all cable and satellite companies will no longer have the networks, HGTV, DISCOVERY, FOOD NETWORK, just to name a few. I like Chicago Med, Fire and PD. I will now have to pay for another network, DISCOVERY+, just like I’m paying for NETFLIX. It looks like I’m going to cut the chord with my cable provider. This is really a crock of s—t!!!
Why can’t Disney+ make a “civil” contract with all tv, cable and satellite companies?
Yes! Extremely PISSED! That is exactly what they did and in doing so they insulted our intelligence~ I’ve got less than 6mos. hmmmm….time to switch?
I’d rather pay my rent and feed my household then pay double for shows I’m already paying for. This peacock and discovery plus stuff is a greedy move. I’m done with it. There loss.
Will I lose my favorite programs on the food network, I’ already lost Restaurant impossible. I like GGG and Worst Cooks and Diners Drive-Ins and diners I don’t want to lose them too. I’m already paying too much for cable. Plus there are a lot of seniors out there that don’t know how to stream and can’t afford any more money.
The answer given by Mr. Swann is misleading. While you will be able to access the “channels” moving to Discovery+, the remaining cable “channels” will stop carrying a number of the more popular shows and new episodes. Another words, you will be paying the same cable bill for channels with reduced content. Please feel free to correct this point Mr. Swann, if I am incorrect.
I’ve written more on Discovery+ since then. See:
https://tvanswerman.com/?s=Discovery%2B
If you search for Discovery+ in our Search box, you will see several stories about it during January.
https://tvanswerman.com/?s=Discovery%2B
the problem is, your CHANNELS won’t go away, you’ll just be stuck with repeats of your favorite shows, and B- and C-tier new shows or shows that didn’t make the cut for their new streaming platform. All the big shows that Discovery channels are known for will ONLY have NEW episodes on the Discovery+ streaming app/platform/service. You won’t see new episodes of all the paranormal shows, food network flagship shows, TLC, Discovery Channel (so when Josh Gates goes exploring again, you MUST have Discovery+ to see the news season)…
They’re basically screwing over the cable companies who are showing their channels because people will dump their TV package to go to streaming platforms, and not pay the cable companies for the TV channels, just internet…and they’re screwing you over because now you need their exclusive service to watch new Discovery branded shows. You can access Discovery networks on Sling, Roku, whatever but it will be the same as watching it on Cable. You can’t see new episodes of any shows Discovery Networks show without watching through their exclusive app.
So will I still have to have cable or satellite to see.mainstream channels like ABC NBC CBS PBS? I live in a condo and we can’t have satellite dishes.
Sherry G.
I will tell you one program advertised on discovery + that is not listed at all when I do a search on Direct TV, Ghost Adventures.
We already lost a lot of shows! Maybe not the channels themselfs. But certain popular shows. Then dumped a load of infomercials. Buy this buy that. And reruns.
I live in a rural area where the internet isn’t the best. January first my dish went up $5.00 a month. And took off so many good programs.
This really shucks discovery+.
Will the price we already pay for all those shows be deducted from our regular bill since they are not available anymore? This sounds like something the FCC needs to look into, double charging!
If I lose A&E, The first 48, Oxygen, Investigation Discovery, OWN, I WILL discontinue my DISH. 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
I think everyone needs to boycott that Discovery Plus. I’ve been seeing lots of infomercials and losing a lot of shows that I watch they’re being replaced. This is way to get us all watching what they want us to watch. Its called socialist media.
Why are they moving to these plus channels is it strictly money . What happens to Spectrum now seeing that they are losing everything. Does that mean we will get a reduction on our bilk
Will I be able to watch the MLB playoffs and World Series live on Discovery+?
No.