Discovery Plus is the newest, big-box streaming service on the block. It has all the greatest Discovery shows — and some more — and promises exclusives throughout its lifetime. If you’re a big fan of the Discovery network, it’s natural to be eager to know more about Discovery Plus’ availability on your digital cable subscription service. Today, we’ll focus on Xfinity and tell you whether you can watch Discovery Plus, natively, on it.
Is Discovery Plus available on Xfinity?
As mentioned, Discovery Plus is a fresh streaming service, which means it hasn’t had the time and opportunity to blend with the leading digital cable subscription services. Xfinity, unfortunately, isn’t an exception. As of now, Discovery Plus isn’t available on the platform. You’ll need to find an alternate way of enjoying your favorite Discovery programs for the time being.
Related: What Channel is Discovery Plus on Spectrum Cable?
Xfinity Discovery Plus channel
As Discovery Plus is a streaming service, you don’t get it as a channel on your cable. There is no channel on Xfinity on which you can watch Discovery Plus.
When will Discovery Plus be available on Xfinity?
Discovery Plus has not yet launched on Xfinity, and we don’t know if that’ll ever happen. Discovery Plus is gaining followers steadily, of course, but that might not be enough for Xfinity to strike a deal, just yet. Neither party has announced anything related to the potential availability, and we’ll need to wait patiently to see how this pans out.
Related: Which top Shows Are Moving to Discovery Plus?
Will standalone Discovery channels cease to exist?
Discovery Plus is a premium streaming service, which demands you to spend quite a bit to get access to all the latest shows and documentaries. Discovery is pushing everyone to get the premium service, of course, but we’re not sure what that’ll mean for the standalone Discovery channels — Discovery, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, etc. — that come with digital cable subscriptions.
Financially, it makes sense to channel all the new episodes to the newly-launched service and keep the standalone cable channels for re-runs and experimental ventures. However, if they do go down that path, It’s bound to leave a lot of users infuriated, since the move would indirectly force customers to subscribe to the service. Disney did something similar after launching their own streaming service — Disney Plus — moving all popular Disney shows from Netflix to Disney Plus. The old episodes are still there, of course, but new shows would get added straight to Disney Plus.
Related: How to get Discovery Plus on Samsung TV
Discovery Plus on Xfinity Flex
Xfinity Flex is the new streaming device for Xfinity internet users that allows you to access all your streaming services as well as free streaming content from Xfinity in one place. This box is completely free and exclusive to Xfinity internet users. You can claim yours now on the Xfinity website.
While Flex features Netflix and Amazon Prime, Discovery Plus is yet to debut on the platform. Unlike other devices in the same category, Flex charges you for your streaming service subscription directly through your Xfinity plan. This means that the service needs to cut a deal with Xfinity in order, o get their app featured on Flex. Which is why Netflix and Prime seem to be the only two big names on the platform.
There is a chance that Discovery could cut a deal with Xfinity to add Discovery Plus to Flex but there is no word on it yet. Although we suspect that the network would not want to miss out on this great opportunity, the deal depends on the percentage Xfinity is looking to get from each subscription and whether that is deemed feasible by Discovery or not. Considering that the current promotional period is offering the service for quite cheap in many countries, it is highly unlikely for Discovery to jump on to Flex during this period.
How to watch Discovery Plus on your TV
If you’re still looking to enjoy the beauty of Discovery Plus on your TV, you’ll have to come to terms with the fact that it might not be available on Xfinity in the near future. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have any other alternatives.
Cast
If you have a laptop, PC, or mobile, you can very easily visit the Discovery Plus website or download the respective app to get going. Now, to consume content on your TV, you’ll need to get a Chromecast or other casting device to get going. Additionally, if you do not have a cast compatible TV, you can use your HDMI cable to connect your TV to your desktop PC or Mac.
- iOS app
- Android app
- Visit Discovery Plus on the web on PC, Laptop, Mac, Linux, or mobile
Just run Discovery Plus on your mobile or PC and cast via the Chromecast or similar casting device. Please note that the devices need to be on the same network to work as intended.
Smart TV
Discovery Plus doesn’t really have a bunch of native apps for TVs yet, but if you have an Android TV or a smart TV (LG, Samsung, any other brand), you should be able to enjoy Discovery Plus on your TV set by installing the app manually.
Other streaming devices
Don’t have a Chromecast or a smart TV? Discovery Plus is doing its best to be all-inclusive by bringing the application natively for all leading streaming services. Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV have all been blessed with the native app, which should allow you to get up and running in no time. All you need is a Discovery Plus subscription and the app from the store.
