Discovery has announced that its discovery+ subscription streaming service, will make its debut in the U.S. on Jan. 4, followed by a global rollout in 25 countries. Launching in partnership with Verizon which is giving its customers 12 months of discovery+, the service will feature original series from Discovery brands HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, across the lifestyle and relationships; home and food; true crime; paranormal; adventure and natural history verticals; as well as science, tech and the environment. Viewers in the U.S. will also gain access to new series from personalities including Chip and Joanna Gaines; Will Packer and Kevin Hart; Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis; Duff Goldman; Amy Schumer; David Schwimmer; and Sir David Attenborough.
Happs is a growing broadcast platform where freelance journalists can create their own shows with news studio capabilities. Founded by media tech entrepreneurs Mark Goldman and David Neuman, the platform currently boasts 7.1 million viewers, who can comment, ask questions and directly support creators financially. The free app also enables multicasting to social platforms, like Facebook, YouTube and Periscope, unlimited guests, b-roll, and other on-screen elements.
Xtra Magazine has launched a new editorial platform, xtramagazine.com, coinciding with a rebrand and what the publication says will be a bigger focus on community engagement. Covering LGBTQ2S+ culture, politics and health, Xtra says it’s continued to evolve and expand internationally since going entirely digital in 2015. Toronto editorial design firm Studio Wyse drew inspiration for the publication’s new look from queer activism aesthetics from the 1980s and ’90s, old newsprint editions of Xtra, and from The Body Politic, Xtra’s predecessor, to develop Xtra’s new visual identity.
