It's not a great time for cable companies, what with the cord cutting and competition and such.
Discovery Communications, which is home to cable channels like Discovery channel and Animal Planet, knows this, so they're bringing in some additional firepower.
SEE ALSO:TV ratings will now include Hulu Live and YouTube TVDiscovery announced on Monday that it would be buying Scripps Networks Interactive for $14.6 billion, adding a variety of major cable brands including HGTV, the Food Network and the Travel Channel.
The deal means Discovery would have almost 20 percent of total U.S. cable viewership.
Bigger is better in the cable world, particularly now. Companies like Discover get paid by distributors to carry its cable offerings. Those deals are subject to intense negotiations which have not been great for channel operators like Discovery. Fewer people subscribing combined with bigger distributors (which have more power in negotiations) have provided a brutal double-whammy on cable providers.
Tweet may have been deleted
Cable companies, in turn, have been merging to keep pace with distributors. Monday's deal is yet another move to make a bigger company that's able to push back against distribution partners.
Then, there's the internet. Cable companies are still working on taking their brands online, where size is also important.
"The combined company will deliver 7 billion monthly short-form streams, bringing together Scripps’ established expertise in short-form video creation with Discovery’s investment in Group Nine Media to create a new scale player with a strong ability to compete for audiences and ad dollars," Discovery noted in a press release announcing the deal.
(责任编辑：百科)
17 questions you can answer if you're a good communicator
Ikea's new collection for 'today's nomadic youth' has everyone very confused
Turtle funeral makes this boy look like the most thoughtful human on Earth
Twitter tweaks video again, adding view counts for some usersSound the alarms: Simone Biles finally met Zac EfronWatch MTV's Video Music Awards 2016 livestream
It's MTV Video Music Awards night. Are you ready?Kanye's going to be there, and he's going to say th
...[详细]Twitter is burying Moments as it bets on live video
Twitter's apps will no longer have a dedicated tab for Moments. In its place, the company is adding
...[详细]Bride perfectly trolls her groom in a ridiculous T
"First look" wedding pictures are usually some of the most beautiful pictures from any couple's nupt
...[详细]Mario Batali can't resist a plate of nachos, either
You might expect an American Iron Chef and lauded restaurateur to serve caviar, champagne and tiny c
...[详细]Pole vaulter claims his penis is not to blame
Following the cringeworthy moment in which pole vaulter Hiroki Ogita's penis grazed the bar and he f
...[详细]Feds secretly forced Twitter to disclose a user's identity — twice
Twitter revealed late Friday that it had provided user information to the U.S. government in a situa
...[详细]How Nike plans to break one of the most daunting barriers in human performance
Human beings have walked the earth for millennia, yet no one has ever run 26.2 miles -- a marathon,
...[详细]Instagram pic proves Serena Williams is the GOAT and also the best sister
The Williams-on-Williams final at the Australian Open Saturday was quite the event. Not only did Ser
...[详细]U.S. government issues warning on McDonald's recalled wearable devices
Last week's McDonald's debacle, which saw the fast food giant forced to recall its first wearable tr
...[详细]Twitter tweaks video again, adding view counts for some users
Like Facebook, Twitter is obsessed with video, and it's not done tweaking how it delivers those litt
...[详细]Hiddleswift finally followed each other on Instagram after 3 excruciating days
Muslim group subtly trolls Trump with 'Making America Great' billboards
