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State of the Screens

Is Discovery+ A Fixer Upper?

By August 12, 2021November 15th, 2021No Comments

Big News: Chip and Joanna Gaines are launching their Magnolia Network on July 15th.

Why this matters #1: Before, they were just a show (Fixer Upper), and now they are an entire network.

Key details for Fixer Upper:
1) Launched in 2013
2) 5 seasons (2013-18)
3) 79 episodes
4) 16.6M viewers at peak
5) Waco has become the #2 tourist destination in Texas w/ ≈ 2M in 2019

Quote from David Zaslav – CEO @ Discovery:

“People tell me, ‘You don’t have The Mandalorian or The Morning Show,’ but The Morning Show hasn’t been on the cover of People 20 times in the last four years. The Morning Show doesn’t sell a million cookbooks. There’s a big underestimation of this kind of connection to the audience.”

Video: Chip and Joanna Gaines on Walking Away From ‘Fixer Upper,’ Launching Magnolia Network and the Criticism That Stings the Most

Why this matters #2: Warner Bros. Discovery (if approved) will rely on content like the Magnolia Network in the battle for consumer’s attention and wallet.

Discovery+ subscribers:
1) Dec-20 – 5.2M
2) Feb-21 – 11.0M
3) Mar-21 – 13.0M
4) Apr-21 – 15.0M
5) Jun-21 – 17.0M
6) Aug-21 – 18.0M

Michael Beach

Michael Beach is the Chief Executive Officer of Cross Screen Media, a media analytics and software company that enables marketers to plan, activate, and measure CTV and linear TV at the local level. Michael is also the founder and editor of State of the Screens, a weekly newsletter focused on video advertising that is a must-read for thought leaders in the advertising industry. He has appeared in such publications as PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Axios, CNBC and Bloomberg, and on NPR’s Planet Money podcast.

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