Launched on December 31, 1994, as a Canadian version of the U.S. cable network of the same name, it was originally devoted to factual programming related to science, technology, and nature. Through multiple ownership changes over the years, the channel is currently majority-owned and operated by Bell Media, with a 20% share held by Discovery Channel's U.S. parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, and a minority share also owned by ESPN Inc. (via the CTV Specialty Television subsidiary, stemming from that subsidiary's ownership of sister network TSN; ESPN is not believed to be involved in the operation of the channel).
The channel will relaunch as a Canadian version of USA Network, under licence from NBCUniversal, on January 1, 2025, immediately after its rights to the Discovery Channel brand expire. A new, separate Discovery-branded channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media is scheduled to launch in Canada the same day.
History
Early years
Discovery Channel Canada logo used from 1995 to 2009.
During the CRTC licensing process, the venture had received numerous letters of support from various science-focused and educational groups, and academics such as John Polanyi and Susan Mann.[3] In its CRTC application, the channel promised a daily science-focused show, the first of its kind in North America, tentatively titled Canada Magazine.[3] The program debuted as @discovery.ca, and was later retitled Daily Planet.[2] The channel initially carried 40% Canadian content and 60% foreign content, but committed to eventually airing a total of 60% Canadian content throughout the broadcast day, with 20% of its programming originated by Discovery Channel U.S., and the remaining 20% coming from other international producers.[1][2]
On March 24, 2000, the CRTC approved a proposal by CTV Inc. to acquire voting interest in NetStar Communications Inc. CTV renamed the company CTV Specialty Television Inc.
In the late 2000s and early 2010s, the channel followed its U.S. counterpart's shift away from natural history towards adventure and reality programming targeting male audiences, with series like Deadliest Catch, Highway Thru Hell, and Canada's Worst Driver.[5]
Bell Globemedia was renamed to CTVglobemedia on January 1, 2007, after BCE Inc. reduced the stake to 15%. Bell Canada reacquired CTVgm in 2010 from The Woodbridge Company and renamed that division to Bell Media on April 1, 2011.
On June 17, 2011, Bell Media announced that it would launch, for a second time, an HD simulcast feed of Discovery Channel; this feed was launched on August 18, 2011.[6]
Loss of Discovery rights, relaunch as USA (2024–25)
USA Network logo beginning January 1, 2025.
On June 10, 2024, Rogers Sports & Media announced it had reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) for Canadian rights to its lifestyle brands beginning in January 2025. Although not mentioned in Rogers' initial announcement, the company subsequently confirmed that the affected channels include Discovery Channel and other brands of the former Discovery Communications (pre-Scripps Networks Interactive merger) which had been managed by Bell in Canada.[7][8]
Bell then said in a statement that it would "assert [its] rights", citing non-compete protections it had previously negotiated against the launch of direct competitor channels.[9] On June 19, Bell filed for an injunction against WBD supplying any Discovery programming to Rogers for at least two years after its own deal expires, claiming it was entitled to a "window to adjust" under its outgoing contract in the event of non-renewal.[10]
According to Rogers, the injunction requested by Bell would—if granted—prevent the company from operating any linear TV channels under the relevant brands during that timeframe, but would not affect other content rights.[11] Nevertheless, Rogers subsequently announced plans to launch its own channels under the Discovery and Investigation Discovery (ID) brands on January 1, 2025, along with on-demand distribution of content from other brands of the former Discovery Communications.[12] On October 8, 2024, Bell settled with WBD, agreeing to a renewal of its separate library deals with HBO and Warner Bros. for its Crave service, as well as co-production and international distribution pacts for Bell Media original programming, allowing Rogers' relaunch of the Discovery brands to proceed.[13]
On October 17, Bell Media announced it would relaunch the channel as a Canadian version of USA Network on January 1, 2025, as part of an agreement with Comcast's NBCUniversal which will also see Bell Media's version of ID relaunched under the similar Oxygen True Crime brand. The revamped channel will carry over select reality series that had been commissioned by Discovery Canada, while also airing past and present USA series (some of which were already airing on Bell channels), including Suits and The Traitors.[14] Due to CRTC genre regulation changes in 2015, Bell can make significant programming and brand changes of this type to an existing channel without regulator approval.[15] USA and Oxygen will mark Bell's second and third active channel partnerships with NBCUniversal, following the relaunch of Star! as E! in 2010; Comcast and Bell Media's predecessors were also co-owners of OLN from 1997 to 2008.[16]
In contrast to the American channel, this channel will not air Friday Night SmackDown. These rights had been held by Rogers' Sportsnet 360 in Canada, but will move to Netflix, alongside the Canadian rights to all other WWE programming, under an agreement also taking effect in January 2025.[17][18][19] Additionally, Bell has not indicated any plans to air USA's sports programming on the channel, as those rights are generally sold separately in Canada (though many have aired on Bell's TSN). However, like other non-sports discretionary channels, USA will be entitled to air up to 10% sports programming—a right that has been used in the past by Rogers' FX Canada.[20][21]
Programming
In addition to shows acquired from its U.S. counterpart, the Canadian Discovery Channel produced much of its own original programming through its Exploration Production group including its former flagship daily science news program, Daily Planet, and its own domestic version of Cash Cab.[22] Several programs produced by the Canadian Discovery Channel (such as How It's Made) have also aired on the U.S. Science Channel.
Since 2015, enabled by the 2015 retirement of CRTC genre protection rules which mandated that it predominantly air factual programming,[15] Discovery has made ventures into scripted entertainment programming with loose connections to history or STEM concepts. In November 2015, Bell Media announced Discovery Channel Canada's first original scripted drama, the Jason Momoa-fronted Netflix co-production Frontier, chronicling the North American fur trade.[23] In 2018, it began to devote portions of its schedule to reruns of police procedural series such as Criminal Minds, CSI: NY, and NUMB3RS.
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