and “will surprise on the upside,” Zaslav said, giving no details. “In general, people will be up or down in the low single digits — we will be better that,” he said.
He called the company’s 18-channel U.S. lineup, including Discovery, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science and Oprah Winfrey’s OWN, a “bargain” – as in “we don’t get paid that much” after “sports and retrans have taken most of the money.” He said its economics are improving some as video providers acknowledge the net’s ability to provide fresh unscripted content, at low cost and throughout the pandemic.
Alternatives like skinny bundles “are not so skinny,” unfortunately, he said. Cord cutting has accelerated plans for aoffering, details of which Zaslav has been promising will be unveiled soon. He believes the allure of unscripted fare that can be a companion in the kitchen or “while home schooling your kids” will differentiate Discovery’s offering from broad based services like Netflix and make it a popular add-on.and keep your inbox happy.