Discovery Plus May Have Added 3.5M Subs: Analyst

By Jon Lafayette
( Broadcasting & Cable )
last updated

Vijay Jayant of Evercore ISI notes 5.1 million downloads since launch

discovery plus
Discovery Plus may have added 3.5 million subscribers, analyst VIjay Jayant says (Image credit: Discovery)

Discovery Plus, the new streaming service launched Jan. 4 may have already added 3.5 million subscribers, according to analyst Vijay Jayant of Evercore ISI.

Discovery is expected to disclose subscriber trends for Discovery Plus when it reports earnings Monday.

Also Read: Discovery Plus Offers 50-Plus Original Series

Jayant cited data from SensorTower that the Discovery Plus app has been downloaded about 5.1 million times over the past six weeks. He said that based on the ratio of Disney Plus signups to downloads, Discovery Plus could have 3.5 million customers.

“This number could suggest modest upside to our published estimate,” Jayant said in a research note Sunday.

Also Read: Discovery Sets Upfront Presentation for May

After Discovery’s investor day in December, Jayant estimated that between the new Discovery Plus and existing DPlay subs in Europe, Discovery would have 9 million SVOD subscribers by the end of the first quarter. Having 3.5 million Discovery Plus signups would put Discovery Plus at 8.5 million now, with more than a month to go.

Discovery Plus offers programming from Discovery networks including TLC, ID, OWN, Food Network and HGTV, plus original content and content from other companies including A+E Networks.

Also Read: Everything You Need to Know About Discovery Plus

The service is available for $4.99 a month with ads and $6.99 ad free. 

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.