 | |
Type of site | OTT platform Linear television channel Video on demand |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Traded as | Nasdaq: CURI |
| Founded | March 18, 2015; 10 years ago (2015-03-18) |
| Headquarters | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Founder(s) | John S. Hendricks |
| Key people | |
| Revenue |  US$39.6 million(2020)[1] |
| URL | curiositystream |
| Registration | Limited free titles. Subscription required to access full library |
| Users | 20 million (as of August 10, 2021)[2] |
| Current status | Active |
Curiosity Stream Inc. (simply referred to asCuriosity Stream[3]), formerly branded asCuriosityStream, is an American media company andover-the-topsubscription videostreaming service that offersdocumentary programming including films, series, and TV shows. The company offers avideo-on-demand subscription service branded as "Curiosity Stream" and alinear broadcast television channel known as theCuriosity Channel through various services such asFuboTV andThe Roku Channel.
The service was launched in 2015 by the founder of theDiscovery Channel,John S. Hendricks.[4] As of 2021, it was reported to have approximately 20 million subscribers worldwide[2] across its direct and bundled platforms.[5][6][7]
Curiosity Stream produces original documentaries and series includingRoyals: Keeping the Crown,[8]The History of Home,[9]Miniverse,Stephen Hawking's Favorite Places,David Attenborough's Light on Earth, andDeep Time History; and additionally features content from producers such as theBBC andNHK.[10]
John Hendricks, who foundedDiscovery in 1982, started Curiosity Stream as a stand-aloneOTT media service in March 2015 with his daughter, Elizabeth Hendricks, as Chief Executive Officer.[11][12] The service expanded distribution toAmazon Channels,[13] and then in 2017, had its first distribution deal with amultichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) when it became available on Comcast's set-top box VOD platform and the MSO's Xfinity Stream app/portal.[13]
In April 2018,Dish Network made Curiosity Stream available on internet-connected Hopper devices and the Dish Anywhere mobile app.[14]
In June 2018, Clint Stinchcomb was appointed president and CEO of the company, after first joining Curiosity Stream in 2017 as Chief Distribution Officer.[15] He is also the co-founder and former CEO ofPoker Central.[16] Previously Stinchcomb held positions as managing director of Worldwide Media Group (WMG) and executive VP and GM of Discovery Communications' Emerging Television Networks.[17]
In July 2020, it signed a partnership deal with Swedish telecommunicationsCom Hem to bring the company's library content to Sweden. Many of the programs were made available with Swedish subtitles.[18]
In August 2020, Matthew Blank joined Curiosity Stream's board of directors. Blank had formerly spent over 20 years as the chairman and CEO ofShowtime Networks where he had overseen television series includingHomeland,Dexter, andBillions.[19][20]
On October 15, 2020, Curiosity Stream became the first publicly traded streaming media company focused on factual content[21] when it started trading onNASDAQ under theTicker symbol "CURI". The public trading was a result of areverse merger with Software Acquisition Group, Inc., aspecial-purpose acquisition company.[22]
In November 2020, Indian pay-TV and OTT providerTata Sky partnered with the company to bring its content to Tata Sky's subscribers via binge+.[23] The programs were also made available to Tata Sky DTH customers as a linear channel.[24]
In May 2021, the company acquiredOne Day University, an adult education platform that features lectures from university and college professors.[25] In July 2021, Curiosity Stream partnered with German TV channelSpiegel TV to offer a linear channel in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.[26] In August 2012, the company acquired Now You Know Media, parent of Learn25.[27]
In August 2021, the company announced a rebranding including the shortened name for its parent company, Curiosity, which is composed of Curiosity Stream (streaming service), Curiosity Channel (linear channels), and Curiosity Studios (originals production). The streaming service was also retitled from CuriosityStream to Curiosity Stream.[28]
They have had a long-standing promotion withNebula to promote a bundle subscription for both services, which has led to a substantial growth of parts of both services,[29][30] and it was announced in September 2021 that Curiosity bought a minority share of Nebula, valuing the company at over $50 million.[31] Nebula became unbundled from Curiosity Stream's plans beginning 2024, though one year of access would still be provided to subscribers that renewed by the end of 2023.[32]
Before a price increase in 2022, the service was offered at $19.99 per year for the standard annual subscription.[33] As of May 2023, the standard annual subscription was $39.99.[3]
On February 6, 2024, Curiosity Channel was dropped by the streaming serviceFrndly TV.[34] Frndly TV had carried the channel since 2020.[35]
The service offers on-demand content and linear, live TV-style streams from its VoD catalog. Programs cover factual content including science, history, mathematics, technology, robotics, and nature.[36] It also offers content for children and original programming,[37] along with a Kids Mode option to filter out inappropriate content.[38]
In June 2020, Curiosity Stream signed a partnership with wildlife production company Doclights to add 50 original nature documentaries to SVOD and pay-TV platforms.[39] Programs includeCheetah: Beating the Odds; Hidden Australia; These Birds Were Made for Walking; Jaguar: King of the Jungle; Magical Fjords; Meet the Meerkats; Meet the Marsupials; Puma: The Ghost Cat; and,Sloth Bear: Birth of A Prince.[39]
In November 2020, the company announced a new series,Beyond the Spotlight, from executive producersLeonardo DiCaprio and Stephen David. Each episode features conversations with celebrity icons, focused on their personal lives, histories, and inspirations. Celebrities includeSamuel L. Jackson and his wifeLaTanya Richardson Jackson,Kristen Bell,Shaquille O'Neal,Joe Namath, andMrBeast. The first episodes premiered on November 19, 2020.[40]
In December 2020, the company announced an original series focusing on primatologistJane Goodall calledRescued Chimpanzees of the Congo with Jane Goodall. The series was produced by Curiosity Stream, Off the Fence Productions, and theJane Goodall Institute and premiered on July 14, 2021.[41] It includes three decades of unseen archival footage.[42][43]
On June 10, 2021, "Doug to the Rescue", a six-part docuseries, premiered. The series follows Doug Thron, an aerial cinematographer, who uses technology like drones, infrared cameras, spotlights, and high intensity zoom lenses to find and rescue animals in the wake of natural disasters around the world.[44][45]
In September 2021, the company released its first original feature-length film,Heval, which is about the life ofMichael Enright who volunteered to fightISIL.[46]
Additional available programs on Curiosity Stream include David Attenborough'sLight on Earth andAnt Mountain;Dream the Future,Empire of Tsars,Out of the Cradle;[47]The Spying Game: Tales from the Cold War;The Normans;Heston's Dinner in Space; andThe Secret World of Lego.[48] Content for children includesQuarx,Prehistoric Worlds, andOcean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin.[49]
| Title | Genre | Release date | Seasons/episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Time History | Docuseries | July 22, 2016 | 3 episodes |
| Stephen Hawking's Favorite Places | Docuseries | September 22, 2016 | 3 episodes |
| Amazing Dinoworld | Docuseries | October 17, 2019 | 2 episodes |
| 4th & Forever: Muck City | Docuseries | May 14, 2020 | 1 season, 8 episodes |
| The History of Home, Narrated by Nick Offerman | Docuseries | June 18, 2020 | 3 episodes |
| Beyond the Spotlight | Docuseries | November 19, 2020 | 1 season, 6 episodes |
| Rescued Chimpanzees of the Congo with Jane Goodall | Docuseries | July 14, 2021 | 1 season, 5 episodes |
| Royals: Keeping the Crown | Docuseries | October 21, 2021 | 1 season, 6 episodes |
Documentaries
| Title | Genre | Release date | Seasons/episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Attenborough's Light on Earth | Documentary | May 29, 2016 | One-off (1 episode) |
| Miniverse | Documentary | April 17, 2017 | One-off (1 episode) |
| Heval | Documentary | September 23, 2021 | One-off (1 episode) |
| Going Circular | Documentary | November 4, 2021 | One-off (1 episode) |
In August 2021, the company had approximately 20 million subscribers[1][2] across 175 countries.[47] In 2019, Curiosity Stream was translating its programs into Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, and Cantonese.[50]
Curiosity Stream offers annual and month-to-month subscriptions and a 4K plan.[36] It distributes its programming in the U.S. and internationally using a mix of OTT players, pay-TV operators, and broadband ISPs.[16] The app is available throughRoku, Apple TV Channels andApple TV,Android TV,Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S,Amazon Fire TV,Sprint,Google Chromecast, iOS and Android,Amazon Prime Video Channels,YouTube TV,Sling TV,Comcast Xfinity on Demand,[9]LG TV webOS,[51] andPlayStation 4.[52] All programs are available in either HD or 4K.[47]
The service has over 50 partners, includingAmazon,Comcast,Altice USA andSuddenlink (USA);Com Hem (Sweden);StarHub (Singapore); Totalplay (Mexico);Multichoice'sDStv (Africa);Millicom (Latin America); Okko (Russia);Gazprom-Media (Russia);Liberty Global/FLOW (the Caribbean);[18][50][53] andTata Sky (India).[23]
Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival
British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA)
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