 | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | El Segundo, California |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Parent | Motor Trend Group |
| History | |
| Launched | June 17, 2002; 23 years ago (2002-06-17) |
| Former names |
|
| Links | |
| Website | watch |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Service(s) | Philo,Hulu with Live TV,Sling TV,YouTube TV,DirecTV Stream,Vidgo |
Motor Trend is an American automotive television network owned byMotor Trend Group, a subsidiary ofHearst Magazines (which in turn is a division ofHearst Communications). It primarily broadcastsautomotive-themed programming, includingmotorsports events.
It was originally founded in 2002 asDiscovery HD Theater (laterHD Theater), the first 24/7high-definition basic cable network. It featured high-definition programming from its other channels. Redundant after the introduction of high-definition simulcasts for Discovery's networks, it re-launched by Robert Scanlon, Dan Russell, Shaan Akbar, Douglas Lerner, Nicole Tong, David Lee and Kelly Mahoney in 2011 asVelocity—an "upscale male" network primarily featuring automotive programming. Following Discovery's acquisition of a majority stake in the magazine's publisher, it was announced that Velocity would rebrand as Motor Trend on November 23, 2018, as a brand extension of the automotive magazineMotor Trend.
As of November 2023[update], MT is available to approximately 65,000,000 pay television households in the United States-down from its 2017 peak of 74,000,000 households.[1]
The network launched nationwide in theUnited States on June 17, 2002, asDiscovery HD Theater;[2] and was the first 24/7 basic cable HD network in the US.[3] The channel was rebranded toHD Theater on September 22, 2007. Programming included shows from Discovery sister networks, such asAmerican Chopper and Animal Planet'sCorwin's Quest, in addition to original programming such asSunrise Earth (which featured footage of outdoor scenes with no narration),[4] and history-focused titles such asWhen Dinosaurs Roamed America andBefore We Ruled the Earth.[5]
By 2011, as high definition feeds of mainstream networks had become more common, HD Theater no longer filled a unique niche.[6] On April 14, 2011, Discovery Communications announced that HD Theater would be re-launched asVelocity later in the year; the re-launch took place on October 4, 2011.[7] The network targeted an "upscale male" audience, and focused primarily on automotive-oriented programming.[8][9][10]
On August 3, 2017, Discovery announced that it would contribute Velocity into a joint venture with the digital, live events, and direct-to-consumer businesses of automotive publisherTEN: The Enthusiast Network. Discovery will hold a majority stake in the venture.[11]
In April 2018, it was announced that TEN had been renamed the Motor Trend Group, and that Velocity would rebrand toMotor Trend Network later in 2018. Co-branded with the automotive magazineMotor Trend, the rebranding was part of an effort by Discovery, following its acquisition ofScripps Networks Interactive, to focus more on direct-to-consumer offerings targeting niche topics with "passionate" audiences.Motor Trend already operates the subscription video-on-demand serviceMotor Trend OnDemand, and had plotted out international expansion (including a British launch ofMotor Trend OnDemand in the UK in December 2017, and a forthcoming over-the-air Motor Trend television channel in Italy.[12][13][14]
Velocity officially rebranded asMotor Trend on November 23, 2018.[15]
In Canada,Discovery Velocity launched on February 12, 2015. The channel was, originally, the Canadian version of Discovery HD Theater, and had been branded asDiscovery World immediately prior.[16]
In some markets, Discovery operates similarly-themed channels known asDiscovery Turbo (Asia-Pacific, Latin America, UK/Ireland),DTX (Europe, except UK/Ireland), andMotor Trend (Italy), which feature a similar focus on automotive-themed programs.
In 2015, Discovery acquired the broadcast rights toBarrett-Jackson's automobile auctions, previously held byFox Sports.Chris Jacobs andRay Evernham ofAmeriCARna hosted theBarrett-Jackson Live broadcasts on Discovery and Velocity, joined byRick DeBruhl,Mike Joy, and Steve Magnante.[17] The rights moved toA&E Networks in 2020;[18] in October 2021, Motor Trend Group subsequently reached an agreement withMecum Auctions beginning in 2022, succeeding its agreement with the soon-to-be-defunctNBCSN.[19]
In April 2018, it was announced that Discovery and Motor Trend Group had acquired the North American broadcast rights to theFIA World Endurance Championship, beginning with the2018-19 "super season", also replacing Fox Sports. The first and last hours of most events are televised by Motor Trend (with the entire events streaming onMotor Trend digital platforms), and there is live flag-to-flag television coverage of the1000 Miles of Sebring and24 Hours of Le Mans. The broadcasts are produced byEurosport, Discovery's pan-European sports network.[20][21]
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