Discovery Plus streaming services became live on January 4. The affordable streaming service aggregates all the Discovery Channel networks and puts them on a single platform for users to stream. Animal Planet, HGTV, TLC, and other Discovery Channel networks are now available in a single place for $4.99 (with ads) or $6.99 (ad-free).
If you already have a subscription to DirecTV then you may be wondering if your subscription will cover Discovery Plus or not. Here is all you need to know about the availability of Discovery Plus channels on DirecTV.
Is Discovery Plus on DirecTV?
Discovery Plus is an independent streaming platform much like Netflix. While DirecTV is a satellite television platform that allows users to view a large number of channels. As of now, Discovery Plus streaming is not available on satellite television streaming platforms like DirecTV. So, even if you are subscribed to DirecTV you will not be able to stream Discovery Plus.
Will Discovery Plus be on DirecTV?
Discovery Plus has not disclosed if they will be collaborating with satellite or cable services to bring the streaming platform to users. So, it is unclear if Discovery Plus will at all be available on DirecTV in the future. Users have to wait and watch if either DirecTV or Discovery Plus announce their collaboration.
Other providers like Dish and Xfinity seem to have their own utilities to allow users to access streaming services however Discovery plus still seems to be missing from them. Dish users require the latest smart boxes to access this feature while Xfinity users need to get the Flex unit to stream Netflix and other services. There is a chance that DirecTV will jump onto the bandwagon in the near future and introduce new ways to access streaming services on their network but currently, there is no word on it. We shall keep you updated in case anything turns up in the future.
How to get Discovery Plus on DirecTV
Well, it is simply not possible, but wait, you can still watch Discovery Plus shows on TV. Look below.
How to watch Discovery Plus channels on DirecTV
Just because Discovery Plus is not available on DirecTV, it does not mean that you can no longer watch Discovery Channel networks with your DirecTV subscriptions.
Depending on whether you have Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate, or Premier subscriptions, you can continue watching Discovery Channel networks. There have not been any announcements of the channels becoming unavailable on cable and satellite platforms. So, viewers can continue watching the Discovery Networks till further notice.
Additionally, you can use one of the methods listed at the end to get Discovery Plus on your TV.
Why subscribe to Discovery Plus if the channels are there on DirecTV?
Discovery Plus is currently acting as an aggregating platform for all the Discovery Networks. They have promised platform-exclusive content as well.
When Disney launched its exclusive streaming platform they continued to stream their old shows on Netflix. However, newer releases and popular content are no longer available on any platform other than Disney Plus. This move forced users to subscribe to Disney.
We may be soon seeing something similar with Discovery Plus where newer content is exclusively available on the platform. They may end up using other platforms for re-runs of older shows while new episodes become available only on the exclusive platform.
Where can I watch Discovery Plus?
Currently, you may not be able to watch Discovery Plus programming using DirecTV on your television. So, how do you watch Discovery Plus?
You can log into Discovery Plus on multiple devices and platforms. It was announced that to view the Discovery Network content you can download the Discovery Plus app using the following devices:
- iPhone
- iPad
- iPod touch
- Apple TV
- Amazon Fire TV
- Roku
- Andriod phone and tablets
- Google Chromecast and devices with in-built Chromecast
- Chromecast with Google
- Smart TVs (2017 or later models of Samsung Smart TVs)
- Microsoft Xbox (One, Series X, and Series S)
It has also been announced that in the future you can subscribe to Discovery Plus separately on Prime Video Channels.
To get Discovery Plus on your smart television you can download the app directly. You can use Roku, Chromecast, or Fire TV to watch it on other televisions. You can also use your iOS or Andriod devices to cast onto your television. You can simply plug in your computer/console and stream Discovery Network shows on your television as well.
So, if you want to get on board the new streaming platform then you can download the app on your device or visit their website to get started with your subscription.
Let us know what you think of the new streaming platform. Is it worth spending the few extra bucks on?