Bell’s specialty channels Cooking, OWN, Discovery Science, Motor Trend and Animal Planet will shift to streaming only when the services switch to Rogers next year.
Rogers Communications Inc. says the newly acquired lifestyle brands will be offered on demand and via the streaming service Citytv Plus but will disappear from linear cable packages.
Rogers says other upcoming additions including HGTV, Food Network, Magnolia, Discovery ID and Discovery — currently held by Corus — as well as Bravo from Bell will remain as channels available through TV service providers, and will stream on Citytv’swebsite and CityTV Plus via Amazon Prime Video.
The media giant announced earlier this year that it had scored “milestone” multi-year deals with NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery for the Canadian rights to several lifestyle brands held by Corus Entertainment and Bell Media.
Rogers says its OLN cable channel will be rebranded Bravo this fall, and the U.S. network will launch with new seasons of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” “The Real Housewives of New York City,” “Below Deck Sailing Yacht,” “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” “Southern Charm” and “The Real Housewives of Potomac.”
Bravo will be available through TV service providers, on CityTV’s website and on the streaming service CityTV Plus via Amazon Prime Video.
Earlier this month, Corus Entertainment Inc. filed a complaint with Canada’s broadcasting regulator alleging Rogers was “engaging in predatory behaviour” to undercut Canadian competitors through rights deals to foreign programming.
