Starzplay’s offering just got bigger — and realer — than ever. The streaming platform has acquired the non-fiction catalogue of Discovery+, in a new partnership revealed on Wednesday.
For an extra Dh15 — on top of a regular Dh40 subscription — subscribers of Starzplay are now able to watch documentaries that run the gamut of true crime, lifestyle, home, food, nature and automotive content.
Global series, such as ‘MythBusters’, ‘90 Day Fiance’ and ‘Say Yes to the Dress’, are now available on the platform, which prides itself on being the market-leader in terms of VOD services in the region. Currently, Starzplay has a whopping 1.8 million subscribers, according to Maaz Sheikh, the CEO and co-founder of Starzplay.
“This is a long-term strategy for us. We will be announcing further [partnerships] in sports, live events, and content with specific languages to serve various ethnic and expat groups,” said Sheikh, in a Q&A portion of a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon.
He added that the same Discovery+ catalogue is now available all across the MENA region, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, more Discovery+ originals will be rolled out over the coming weeks.
Here are some of the shows viewers can watch now…
‘Amy Schumer Learns to Cook’: The eight-episode first season of this cooking show from the Food Network follows comedian Amy Schumer, as she learns to cook from her husband, Chris Fischer, while quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic. The show was self-shot and currently has two seasons.
‘The Impossible Row’: According to Discovery, the documentary follows the “historic journey of a team of adventurers as they strive to complete the world’s first completely human powered ocean row across The Drake Passage, the most dangerous 600 miles of open ocean on Earth.”
‘MythBusters’: The famed Australian-American science-entertainment program, which premiered 18 years ago, follows expert hosts who use science to prove or disprove outlandish myths — from testing the validity of movie scenes and online clips, to dispelling rumours and news items.
‘90 Day Fiance’: The American reality follows couples who have applied for a K-1 visa, which is available exclusively to foreign fiances of US citizens, and therefore have 90 days to marry each other.
‘Say Yes to the Dress’: Revolving around an upscale bridal boutique in Manhattan, the series tracks its sales associates, managers and fitters, while also profiling brides looking for their perfect wedding dress.
‘Chopped’: The cooking game show watches as, in each episode, four chefs go head-to-head in a three-round contest, incorporating unusual combinations in their recipes, for a chance to win $10,000.
‘Blue Planet’: The British nature docu-series, narrated by David Attenborough, is a deep dive into the world’s natural oceans. It won an Emmy and a BAFTA TV Award for its music and cinematography.
‘Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’: Hosted by the boisterous Guy Fieri, the American food reality show follows its bleached-blonde host as he travels around the US, Canada, Mexico and Europe — as well as Cuba, that one time — looking at various diners, drive-in restaurants and dive bars.
‘Idris Elba: Fighter’: The Golden Globe-winning actor from North London ditches his Hollywood lifestyle to immerse himself into the world of kick-boxing in this documentary miniseries, attempting to become a pro fighter in just 12 months.
‘The Murder Tapes’: This intimate look at homicide investigations features real-life murder tapes — from crime scene investigations caught through police body cams, to interrogation room videos and security cam footage. The investigations are interspersed with current-day interviews with loved ones and officers involved.
‘Toddlers in Tiaras’: The famed meme-worthy reality series follows contestants in child beauty pageants, as well as their families.
‘Deadliest Catch’: The high-stakes series follows crab fisherman during two crab fishing seasons — king crab season (October) and snow crab (January) — at the Bering Sea. Alaskan Crab Fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. According to People, about six cast members have died during the Deadliest Catch’s 16-season run.
