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USA Network (Canada)
USA Network is a Canadian discretionary specialty television channel owned by CTV Specialty Television, Inc., a joint venture of Bell Media (80%) and ESPN Inc. (20%; ESPN is not believed to be directly involved in the operation of the channel). Based on the American channel of the same name, it primarily carries a general entertainment format focusing on television series, films, reality, and sports programming.
The channel was launched on December 31, 1994 by Labatt Communications as Discovery Channel, a Canadian version of the American cable network of the same name; as with its namesake, it primarily aired factual programming relating to topics such as science, technology, and nature, with a mix of original Canadian productions (including a daily news magazine that aired from its launch through 2018) and imported programming. By the 2010s, mirroring similar shifts by its American parent, the network shifted to primarily airing reality-style programs, and later added reruns of scripted programming (particularly police procedurals) from other Bell Media channels.
In June 2024, Rogers Sports & Media announced that it had acquired the Canadian rights to all Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) factual and lifestyle brands beginning January 1, 2025, including Discovery Channel. Bell subsequently announced that it would enter into a licensing agreement with NBCUniversal and later Versant for two of its Discovery-branded channels, with Discovery being relaunched as USA Network on January 1, 2025. A new iteration of Discovery owned by Rogers concurrently launched the same day.
As a former Category A service, Discovery Channel was required to be carried on the basic service of all digital cable providers across Canada. The channel was, and still is as USA Network, typically offered optionally at the discretion of cable or satellite providers.
In October 1992, brewer John Labatt Ltd.—owner of TSN through its JLL Broadcast Group division, later renamed Labatt Communications—announced an agreement with Discovery Communications to apply to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a specialty television licence, to launch a Canadian service similar to the Discovery Channel in the United States. Under the agreement, Discovery Communications would supply up to 400 hours of programming per year to the Canadian channel.
Following hearings in February 1994, the channel was licensed by the CRTC that June, as part of a wave of new licences that included the specialty channels now known as CMT, CTV Drama, Slice, Showcase, and W Network. During the licensing process, the venture had received numerous letters of support from various science-focused and educational groups, and academics such as John Polanyi and Susan Mann. In its application, the channel promised a daily science-focused show, the first of its kind in North America, tentatively titled Canada Magazine.
The Discovery Channel launched in Canada on December 31, 1994, at 8 p.m. ET. The network was owned by Labatt Communications in partnership with Discovery Communications (which owned 20% of the venture), and was headed by former CBC executive Trina McQueen. Due to foreign ownership restrictions, Labatt Communications was later spun off and renamed NetStar Communications, as Labatt had been acquired by Interbrew.
The channel initially carried 40% Canadian content and 60% foreign content, but committed to eventually airing a total of 60% Canadian content throughout the broadcast day, with 20% of its programming originated by Discovery Channel U.S., and the remaining 20% coming from other international producers. The proposed Canada Magazine, which debuted as @discovery.ca and was later retitled Daily Planet, was part of the channel's launch schedule and ran until 2018.
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USA Network (Canada)
USA Network is a Canadian discretionary specialty television channel owned by CTV Specialty Television, Inc., a joint venture of Bell Media (80%) and ESPN Inc. (20%; ESPN is not believed to be directly involved in the operation of the channel). Based on the American channel of the same name, it primarily carries a general entertainment format focusing on television series, films, reality, and sports programming.
The channel was launched on December 31, 1994 by Labatt Communications as Discovery Channel, a Canadian version of the American cable network of the same name; as with its namesake, it primarily aired factual programming relating to topics such as science, technology, and nature, with a mix of original Canadian productions (including a daily news magazine that aired from its launch through 2018) and imported programming. By the 2010s, mirroring similar shifts by its American parent, the network shifted to primarily airing reality-style programs, and later added reruns of scripted programming (particularly police procedurals) from other Bell Media channels.
In June 2024, Rogers Sports & Media announced that it had acquired the Canadian rights to all Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) factual and lifestyle brands beginning January 1, 2025, including Discovery Channel. Bell subsequently announced that it would enter into a licensing agreement with NBCUniversal and later Versant for two of its Discovery-branded channels, with Discovery being relaunched as USA Network on January 1, 2025. A new iteration of Discovery owned by Rogers concurrently launched the same day.
As a former Category A service, Discovery Channel was required to be carried on the basic service of all digital cable providers across Canada. The channel was, and still is as USA Network, typically offered optionally at the discretion of cable or satellite providers.
In October 1992, brewer John Labatt Ltd.—owner of TSN through its JLL Broadcast Group division, later renamed Labatt Communications—announced an agreement with Discovery Communications to apply to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a specialty television licence, to launch a Canadian service similar to the Discovery Channel in the United States. Under the agreement, Discovery Communications would supply up to 400 hours of programming per year to the Canadian channel.
Following hearings in February 1994, the channel was licensed by the CRTC that June, as part of a wave of new licences that included the specialty channels now known as CMT, CTV Drama, Slice, Showcase, and W Network. During the licensing process, the venture had received numerous letters of support from various science-focused and educational groups, and academics such as John Polanyi and Susan Mann. In its application, the channel promised a daily science-focused show, the first of its kind in North America, tentatively titled Canada Magazine.
The Discovery Channel launched in Canada on December 31, 1994, at 8 p.m. ET. The network was owned by Labatt Communications in partnership with Discovery Communications (which owned 20% of the venture), and was headed by former CBC executive Trina McQueen. Due to foreign ownership restrictions, Labatt Communications was later spun off and renamed NetStar Communications, as Labatt had been acquired by Interbrew.
The channel initially carried 40% Canadian content and 60% foreign content, but committed to eventually airing a total of 60% Canadian content throughout the broadcast day, with 20% of its programming originated by Discovery Channel U.S., and the remaining 20% coming from other international producers. The proposed Canada Magazine, which debuted as @discovery.ca and was later retitled Daily Planet, was part of the channel's launch schedule and ran until 2018.