discovery+ Ad-Lite proposition for UK
February 15, 2022
Discovery UK has unveiled plans to introduce an ‘Ad-Lite’ offering for discovery+ customers in the UK and Ireland.
Discovery says discovery+ will be the first global SVoD service to launch an ‘Ad-Lite’ offering in the UK, this follows the successful launch of the product in the US, with a further roll-out across EMEA expected this year.
From March 16th, the discovery+ Entertainment Pass will be available at the lower price of £3.99/ €4.99 p.c.m or £39.99/ €49.99 p.a (currently £4.99/€5.99 p.c.m or £49.99/€59.99 p.a).
The discovery+ Entertainment & Sport Pass will remain ad-free on-demand and, like the Entertainment Pass, offers subscribers all of Discovery’s free and pay-TV channels, exclusive discovery+ Originals, plus the full sports roster which includes the Olympic Games, tennis, Grand Tour cycling, snooker and motorsports for £6.99/ €6.99 p.c.m or £59.99/ €69.99 p.a.
James Gibbons, EVP, GM UK and Nordics, Discovery, said: “We are pleased to outline our ‘Ad-Lite’ proposition in the UK and Ireland for discovery+, following the successful roll-out for Discovery in the US. Increased SVoD stacking is driving interest in ad-supported options globally and, as the market only gets more competitive, we want to offer UK consumers that same choice and value through discovery+.”
“From March, we will bring consumers two distinct products: both offering our premium unscripted content at great value, but with the choice of limited ads or ad-free viewing on-demand. By reshaping our offering we are able to reduce the cost of our Entertainment Pass to just £3.99/month, one of the most competitive price points in the market, whilst still offering less than half the amount of ads viewers experience through linear television. Through our Entertainment & Sport Pass consumers have the choice to select an ad-free on-demand service and have access to all of our entertainment content plus our full sports line-up. We know there is an appetite for choice amongst our users as research shows us nearly three quarters of discovery+ subscribers are open to seeing adverts if it means a reduction in price**and we look forward to launching our new offering in response,” Gibbons added.
Katie Coteman, VP Head of Advertising and Partnerships Discovery Networks UK & Ireland, added: “The move to an ‘Ad-Lite’ proposition for discovery+ in the UK will offer brands omnichannel solutions that reach highly engaged, passionate superfans. As a premium media owner, it’s our responsibility to ensure we are delivering the best possible ad experience to users while ensuring buyers have optimum opportunities to buy against their desired audiences. We know that Connected TV is where advertiser budgets are growing as they seek to follow viewers beyond linear, traditionally there hasn’t been the premium scale available in the UK but over three quarters of consumption of discovery+ through Connected TV we are able to offer a premium environment with the scale advertisers have been looking for.”