In a major coup for Rogers Communications, the cable provider has acquired the brand and content licencing rights to Warner Bros. Discovery’s suite of English-language U.S. lifestyle and factual brands, including HGTV, The Food Network, Magnolia Network, The Cooking Channel, OWN, Discovery, MotorTrend, Science, Animal Planet and I.D.
Corus Entertainment announced Friday it had been informed by Warner Bros. Discovery, that some of its programming and trademark output arrangements were not being renewed past Dec. 31, 2024, impacting content on Corus-operated specialty channels, including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, Cooking Channel, Magnolia Network, and OWN. Bell Media currently holds the rights to Discovery, MotorTrend, Science, Animal Planet and I.D.
Starting in January 2025, Rogers will become the home of that programming in Canada, saying in a release that it “will work with Canadian distribution partners to make the content widely available” including on its on-demand service Citytv+, and Citytv, OMNI, FX, and FXX. A Rogers spokesperson says distribution details are still being finalized with an eye to a mix of linear and streaming options.
“Rogers invests to bring Canadians the most coveted sports and entertainment,” said Colette Watson, President, Rogers Sports & Media, in a company announcement. “We’re evolving our business to reflect where consumers are going, bringing the best mix of U.S. and Canadian content to audiences in the way they want to watch it. This investment also advances our position as a strong Canadian broadcaster that can compete with foreign streamers.”
Starting in September, the company is also launching NBCUniversal’s Bravo channel in Canada and will become the English-language television content rights holder on this side of the border.
“We’re already home to Canada’s #1 sports network, and these partnerships solidify our leadership in entertainment with a diverse media portfolio of TV’s most iconic brands,” added Watson.
In the meantime, a Bell Media spokesperson told Broadcast Dialogue that its long-standing partnership, content, and brand arrangements for the Discovery Canada channels includes protections against the launch of competing services.
“We fully intend to assert our rights with a view to protecting our business,” the spokesperson said.
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