As one of Discovery Network Europe's nine brands distributed from the UK, Animal Planet launched internationally in 1996 and is already reaching more than 204 million viewers in 73 countries across Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, North America and South America.
Animal Planet will be the only DStv television channel dedicated exclusively to the relationship between people and animals, an extremely popular programming genre. The launch of Animal Planet adds further value and choice to the over 50 channels offered by DStv and will be positioned in the documentary genre group at Channel 67, differentiated through its entertaining and often humorous content.
Partnerships with the leading film producers, wildlife experts and personalities such as anthropologist Jeff Corwin and Steve Irwin, "The Crocodile Hunter", allow viewers first-hand experiences of the natural world. Animal Planet partners with various conservation and welfare organisations around the globe, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the World Wildlife Fund, to ensure that conservation issues are brought to a wider audience.
Documentary programming includes "Giant Monsters", "City Slickers" and "Amazing Animal Videos", all of which premiere in October. Popular dramas "Emergency Vets" and "Animal Doctor" also form part of the line-up.
"From catching the world's deadliest snakes for anti-venom to saving big city pets from abusive owners to witnessing the first breath of a newborn cheetah, Animal Planet provides compelling television that engages viewers and evokes a range of emotions," says DStv brand manager Carmen Bennett. "With intrigue, adventure, humour, relationships, life and death, it offers the best perspective on the wildest moments in the natural world."
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide / South Africa
Tamaryn Smith
T: +27 11 880 2271
