discoveryplus.com
So what are you waiting for? Start streaming!
It's a new year, and that means a brand-new lineup of streaming services to check out. 2020 was, if nothing else, quite an active year for the movie and TV streaming industry. We saw the launch of some instant hits - like HBO Max, Peacock, and Quibi - last year, and 2021 is shaping up to be another big year for movie and TV streaming. With the recent launch of Paramount Plus, Disney Star, and Discovery Plus, there are a whole new group of contenders out there for the coveted title of best streaming site on the web. So what are you waiting for? Start streaming!
Do you feel like we're drowning in a sea of streaming options these days? I totally get where you're coming from. It feels like every movie studio, cable TV channel, and media production company is trying to get their own streaming site these days. The result of this is that viewers are split into camps based on what they can afford. Some people are able to afford multiple premium streaming options, while others are stuck with only one or two. It's not just premium streaming services either; there are now free and ad-supported options too. It's gotten to be a bit much, don't you think?
Not to mention, there are numerous free streaming services out there as well.
Considering the amount of content that is available to watch through streaming services, it would be impossible for everyone to have full access to all of them. This would require a monthly budget of around $400 or more, which many people may not be able to afford. Some of the most popular streaming sites include Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, YouTube TV, HBO Max, and Peacock amongst others. There are also numerous free streaming services out there that offer a great selection of content.
If you want to watch the best TV shows, it's important to consider which streaming services offer the best exclusive and original content. Unfortunately, this means that sometimes we may have to miss out on some of the best sites. If you can't afford to subscribe to every site that might be worth it, you have to learn to be especially strategic when choosing subscriptions.
This is why I write TV streaming site reviews. There are not many ways to figure out whether one TV streaming site is better than the next one. So, I do my best to make sure that you can get an honest and rare look at every streaming site before you sign up.
One of the most exciting new streaming sites to launch this year is Discovery Plus. Despite a relatively quiet launch, this underdog premium streaming service might just have what it takes to be the best TV streaming site for you.
Discovery Plus is a valuable service with a lot to offer. It offers instant, unlimited access to over 55,000 episodes of TV shows from some of the most popular brands. This is a great way to catch up on your favorite shows and explore different genres.
Discovery Plus is a streaming service that offers thousands of TV series to binge, as well as some of the most popular and beloved shows and TV personalities in the world. With content from HGTV, TLC, ID, Animal Planet, and BBC, there is bound to be something for everyone here.
So, all things considered, could Discovery Plus be the best streaming site for you? Let's dive in and take a closer look at the streaming service and everything that it has to offer to find out!
History
Discovery Plus is the first American TV streaming site to launch in a foreign market first. India was the first country that had access to the service, and it launched there on March 23, 2020. It wasn't until January of 2021 that Discovery Plus became available internationally, first with a rebrand of their previous service D Play in Denmark, the UK, and Ireland in October and November of 2020 (to Discovery Plus), then with an official launch in the US on January 4, 2021. Discovery Plus would then go onto replace D Play in the rest of Europe the next day.
The TV streaming site was an overnight success. By February of 2021, the company made an official announcement boasting that the platform had over 12 million subscribers across its various OTT streaming services (including Discovery Plus, Motor Trend On Demand, Food Network Kitchen, and Golf TV). Although it wasn't specified, independent analysts suggest that the overwhelming majority of these were Discovery Plus subscribers.
Many people are happy with the new age streamers Discovery Plus offers.
Design
Hidden away on the right side of the homepage is a menu of featured series?these are high-quality documentaries and dramas that can be watched for free with no ads.
Discovery Plus has a sleek, dynamic, and user-friendly interface that makes it easy for anyone who has used a premium streaming service before to navigate. When you reach the site's homepage, you will see a large banner that features titles and suggested series. Just below this, you will find a list of Discovery Plus's offered channels, or hubs. Click into your favorite to browse brand-specific content. Hidden away on the right side of the homepage is a menu of featured series--these are high-quality documentaries and dramas that can be watched for free with no ads.
Situated just above the site's central banner, which is a large image of an explorer globe, is a site menu bar. This allows users to browse by category or genre. As opposed to the typical descending series of rows separating content by type, Discovery Plus takes a different approach, requiring the user to click into a separate page for each category. While I admire the fact that this TV streaming site is taking a different approach than most, I do think that this layout is slightly less effective than the standard streaming site design. In my opinion, the more forward and back clicking that you have to do, the less intuitive the site. That being said, I understand that this is a minor flaw (if it can be called a flaw at all), and I may just be being especially picky.
Content and Features
The content selection on Discovery Plus is so different from the rest of the best TV streaming sites on the market today that it would make a great site for those looking to diversify their arrays. There are no movies here, only on-demand TV shows. So, if you're looking to add another site to your repertoire, Discovery Plus would be a great choice.
Secondly, the content on this streaming site has a niche appeal that sets it apart from other providers. It features cooking shows from Food Network, DIY shows from HGTV and home renovation shows from the BBC and Animal Planet. This makes Discovery Plus one of the most unique TV streaming sites available online right now.
That being said, I would characterize the bulk of what is available on Discovery Plus as light TV. What I mean is that most of the shows streaming here are towards the feel-good, the educational - comfort shows you might call them. In other words, if you need a TV streaming site that is brimming with racy dramas or true crime documentaries, this is probably not going to be the best TV streaming service for you (then again, maybe it is; we all need a break from that sort of heaviness from time to time, right?).
Mobile and Desktop Experience
Discovery Plus is one of the best streaming apps I have ever seen. It has mobile apps available on both iOS and Android devices, so you don't ever have to miss out on your favorite shows. The app has an average user rating of 4.9 out of 5 on the Apple App Store, and it is also available on just about every smart TV and gaming platform there is.
Pricing and Plans
Discovery Plus is a subscription-based streaming service that offers two different plans: one with ads and one without. The ad-free plan costs $6.99/month, while the less-expensive plan with ads costs $4.99/month. Both plans offer a 7-day free trial before you have to pay.