Smithsonian Networks Launches New Subscription VOD Service, Folding in Smithsonian Earth

Smithsonian Networks has expanded its push to reach cord-cutters with the launch of Smithsonian Channel Plus, promising subscribers 1,000-plus hours of streaming nonfiction programming for $5 per month.The new subscription VOD service incorporates and supersedes Smithsonian Earth, the company’s $3.99-monthly SVOD service that launched three years ago, which had been geared around nature and wildlife.Smithsonian Channel Plus is a bigger play: It includes the same programming that has previously aired on the linear cable TV channel, as well as hundreds of hours of programming previously available on Smithsonian Earth. According to the company, existing Smithsonian Earth subscribers can access the new SVOD service for no extra charge.For Smithsonian Networks, which is a joint venture between CBS’s Showtime Networks and the Smithsonian Institution, it’s a move to boost revenue from over-the-top crowd — people who have canceled pay-TV service. Smithsonian Channel is currently distributed through partners including DirecTV, Dish Network, Charter Spectrum, Verizon FiOS, Altice USA, Cox, YouTube TV, PlayStation Vue and Hulu With Live TV.