Discovery to launch Food Network Kitchen OTT next month

Discovery is launching its latest brand-focused direct-to-consumer offering via Food Network Kitchen – a major undertaking that also sees the business teaming up with Amazon. 

The platform, priced at $6.99 per month, will offer live interactive cooking classes every week featuring top culinary experts, as well as grocery and equipment delivery. Overall, the service will offer 800 on-demand classes, and 25 live cooking classes each week.

Food Network Kitchen will also be integrated into shows on Food Network, as well as programmes across TLC, HGTV and Discovery Channel.

While there will be free access to a limited selection of videos and recipes, a subscription to the full suite of features costs $6.99/month or $59.99/year. An initial 90-day free trial period will also be available at launch, along with a limited-time discounted rate of $47.99/year.

Culinary talent involved in the platform include Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, Martha Stewart, Ted Allen, Sunny Anderson, Alton Brown, Kardea Brown, Valerie Bertinelli, Guy Fieri, Buddy Valastro, Jonathan Waxman and Molly Yeh, among many others.

In addition, users will be able to order ingredients through the Food Network Kitchen app using Amazon Fresh in select cities, with more delivery partners added in coming months.  Also on offer is the equipment being used by Food Network Kitchen chefs.

Amazon collaboration

The initiative also includes a collaboration between Discovery and Amazon, which leverages the popularity of Amazon devices in kitchens, particularly for recipes. The partnership will see Food Network Kitchen offered through Amazon Alexa and Echo, as well as Fire tablets and Fire TV streaming devices.

Food Network Kitchen will launch in late October in the US and will also be available across iOS (iPhone and iPad), and Android mobile devices. Food Network Kitchen will roll out across additional platforms and devices in 2020.

David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery, said: “Food Network Kitchen brings the top chefs in the world directly to consumers’ kitchens through first-of-its-kind live interactive cooking classes, seamless e-commerce transactions, and the richest culinary media ecosystem in the world.

“We are re-imagining the direct-to-consumer experience as not just another entertainment service but as the ‘Peloton of Food’ accessible to everybody. Through Food Network Kitchen’s proprietary streaming technology and our foundational partnership with Amazon, we believe this is a truly differentiated product that will make customers’ lives better. With hundreds of the world’s leading cooks offering live and on-demand classes every day, we want to be the trusted partner to everybody who wants to cook and loves to cook. No one needs to be alone in the kitchen again.”

Peter Faricy, CEO of direct-to-consumer for Discovery, added: “Everything we do starts with the customer and they have repeatedly asked us to bring the incredible food they see on Food Network into their homes.

“Food Network Kitchen is an interactive culinary experience that will improve people’s lives. We have designed a product that will change the way people cook by giving them direct access to their favourite chefs, the convenience of expert instruction and the skills they need to be more confident in the kitchen. We are bringing inspiration and joy to cooking.”

Dave Limp, SVP of Amazon Devices and Services, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Discovery to bring the new Food Network Kitchen content to Echo Show, Fire Tablets and Fire TV. We hope the combination of Food Network’s world-class cooking content and the simplicity of Alexa inspires and delights customers throughout every part of their cooking journey – whether they’re a seasoned cook or just starting out. We look forward to hearing customers’ feedback on this experience and continuing to expand the offerings over time.”