With sports around the world put on ice amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, Discovery's lifestyle brands — HGTV, DIY, the Cooking Channel and Food Network — are the new hot properties, CEO David Zaslav argued on the company's Wednesday earnings conference call. "We are the new sports," he said. "Our channels are the new sports.
The numbers are huge" with audiences looking for real-life content and authentic personalities. "The engagement with our characters and our talent is enormous.
We are the real-time player right now on television, whether it is Mike Rowe on his couch or Guy Fieri or Ina Garten or Ree Drummond.