NEW YORK—Discovery+ ended its first full quarter with 13 million subscribers, according to Discovery’s Q1 2021 financial report. This brings Discovery’s total direct-to-consumer subscribers to 15 million across its entire global portfolio.
Discovery+, a streaming service that offers Discovery-owned content from Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, the new Magnolia Channel and more, launched in the U.S. in January. It launched in the U.K. and Ireland in 2020.
At the end of 2020, Discovery reported that its DTC subscriber numbers were at 5.2 million. That number shot up to more than 11 million in February, and now has cracked 15 million.
“Our strong direct-to-consumer performance underscores outstanding value and appeal of our content, brands and personalities to both consumers and distribution partners alike,” said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery.
While Discovery+ was available on most major streaming platforms at launch, Zaslav said that it recently added Comcast Xfinity and Amazon Prime Video channels.
Beyond streaming, Zaslav said that Discovery had the most-watched pay-TV portfolio in the U.S. and experienced its seventh consecutive quarter of international share growth.
The bigger financial picture had Discovery netting total revenues of nearly $2.8 billion, a 4% increase year-over-year. While U.S. advertising revenues dipped by 4%, Discovery said that its distribution revenues went up by 12%. It was the inverse internationally, where advertising revenue was up 16% and distribution was flat.
For Discovery’s full Q1 2021 financial report, visit its website.
