2021 started with locked-down audiences flocking to Discovery’s home improvement, cooking, sports and factual lifestyle channels.
Discovery reported its strongest year on record, boosted by strong performances across some of its free-to-air channels. In 2020, its share of adult viewers increased from 4.3% in 2019 to hit 5%.
Year-on-year, the big winner was HGTV, with its mix of home makeovers and foreign property hunts. The channel’s programmes were overhauled at the beginning of 2020, when the channel rebranded from ‘Home’ to become the UK version of HGTV.
Among pay TV channels, real crime channel ID (Investigation Discovery) saw an 18% year-on-year increase in viewing share. Eurosport benefitted from the return of more live sport, with the Welsh Open Snooker delivering its biggest month (February 2021) in five years.
Top performing Discovery UK channels
Jan-Mar 2020 v Jan-Mar 2021.
HGTV | ? 41% |
Quest Red | ? 21% |
ID | ? 18% |
Quest | ? 16% |
Eurosport | ? 8% |
Food Network | ? 6% |
Discovery | ? 3% |
Original programming continued to draw in viewers, as broadcasters move away from pure repeat channels. An episode of Salvage Hunters (Quest) hit 928,000 on 24th March – becoming Discovery UK’s biggest ever rating, and the first episode to break 900k across the network. Across its other channels, programmes commissioned in the UK, including Yorkshire Auction House (Really), The Bad Skin Clinic (Quest Red) and Tom Kerridge American Feasts (Food Network) were amongst the top performing shows.
The year started with Discovery closing two of its smaller digital TV channels – Discovery Shed and Home & Leisure. At the beginning of March, separate Irish versions of Quest Red, DMAX and HGTV were launched. In November, the UK became one of the first countries to gain access to streaming service discovery+, which replaced dplay. Globally, discovery+ has over 11 million subscribers, although a break down for the UK has not been provided.
James Gibbons, EVP General Manager UK & Nordics, said:
“To achieve record linear growth alongside the successful launch of discovery+ is an incredible accomplishment and testament to the robust appetite for Discovery’s real-life content, served on consumers’ platform and product of choice. Our ongoing investment in British shows across the reality, true crime, paranormal, adventure, natural history, home and food categories – to complement our global franchises – continues to attract passionate fans. With content investment increasing year-on-year and new shows launching on our platforms every week, there’s much for viewers to look forward to in 2021.”