Travel Channel

Coordinates: 38°57′44.7″N 77°5′6.8″W / 38.962417°N 77.085222°W / 38.962417; -77.085222

Travel Channel
Launched February 1, 1987 (1987-02-01)
Owned by Discovery, Inc.
Picture format
Slogan Travel Moves You.
Country United States and Great Britain
Language English
Broadcast area International
Headquarters Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States
Formerly called The Travel Channel (1987–1998)
Replaced Home Theater Network
Sister channel(s)
Website www.travelchannel.com
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV 277 (SD/HD)
Dish Network 196
9437
Cable
Verizon FiOS
  • 670 (HD)
  • 170 (SD)
Available on most cable providers Check local listings for channels
IPTV
AT&T U-Verse
  • 1254 (HD)
  • 254 (SD)
Streaming media
Sling TV Internet Protocol television
TVPlayer Watch live (UK only)
TVPlayer

Watch live (+1 Timeshift) (UK only)

Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American basic cable and satellite television channel that is owned by Discovery, Inc., which had previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States.

It features documentaries, reality, and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows on African animal safaris, tours of grand hotels and resorts, visits to significant cities and towns across the world, programming about various foods across the world, and programming about ghosts and the paranormal in notable buildings.

As of February 2015, Travel Channel is available to approximately 91.5 million households (78.6% of households with television) in the United States.[1]

History

Logo until October 2018

The Travel Channel was launched on February 1, 1987; it was co-founded by Trans World Airlines and Viacom Media Networks (previously MTV Networks), presumably to boost airline patronage. The channel's name was derived from the travel-related filler programming that aired between programs on the Home Theater Network. TWA purchased the name rights from Group W Satellite Communications in 1986, and took over HTN's transponder spot following the shutdown of the premium cable channel in January 1987.[2] In 1997 the network was later sold to Landmark Communications, then-owner of The Weather Channel, and eventually to Paxson Communications.[3]

Discovery Communications acquired a 70% ownership stake in the channel in 1997, and subsequently acquired the remaining 30% interest from Paxson in 1999. In May 2007, Discovery Communications sold Travel Channel to Cox Enterprises subsidiary Cox Communications as part of a larger multibillion-dollar transaction.[4]

On November 5, 2009, Scripps Networks Interactive acquired a 65% ownership interest in the network for $1.1 billion;[5] the deal closed in January 2010. Following the purchase, Travel Channel began to add programming from sister networks such as Food Network.[6]

On February 25, 2016, SNI acquired the remaining 35% stake in Travel Channel from Cox Communications, giving it full control over the network.[7] Discovery re-gained ownership of the network on March 6, 2018, after acquiring Scripps Networks Interactive.[8]

Available data shows that viewership peaked in Spring 2008 at 27.78 million views per 7 days, and has been in decline ever since. As of Spring 2017, the channel got 17.25 million views[9].

On October 1, 2018, Travel Channel has revealed a new logo stylized as Trvl Channel, and shifted its programming to focus on "the paranormal, the unsolved, the creepy and terrifying", akin to its counterpart Destination America when they drifted to paranormal programming themselves full-time in mid-2017.[10] It is unknown if Travel Channel's other popular programming such as Bizarre Foods, its spinoff series Bizarre Foods Delicious Destinations, Man v. Food, Food Paradise and Xtreme Waterparks would continue to air on the network or move to networks within Discovery, Inc's portfolio.

Programming

Outside the United States

On March 22, 2012, Scripps Networks Interactive announced that it had agreed to pay £65 million (equivalent to US$102.7 million) to acquire Travel Channel International Limited, the UK-based broadcaster which operates across the Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific markets, but had no direct relation to the American television channel until then.[11] The deal was completed on May 1, 2012, following regulatory approval.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Seidman, Robert (February 22, 2015). "List of how many homes each cable network is in as of February 2015". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Broadcasting Magazine" (PDF). October 27, 1986. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 6, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Paxson to Buy the Travel Channel". Los Angeles Times. June 17, 1997.
  4. ↑ Cox Cable Corporate Site - Cox Now Owns Travel Channel and TravelChannel.com
  5. ↑ Scripps Snaps Up Travel In Deal Valued At $1.1 Billion - Acquires 65% Interest In Service From Cox Multichannel News November 5, 2009
  6. ↑ Juan Fernandez Gonzalez (December 20, 2015). "Scripps offers LATAM programming on Travel Channel, Food Network". Rapid TV News.
  7. ↑ Scripps Networks Takes Full Control of Travel Channel Variety February 25, 2016
  8. ↑ Szalai, Georg (March 6, 2018). "Discovery Closes Scripps Acquisition, Creating Non-scripted Content Giant". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  9. ↑ "TV viewers of the Travel Channel in the U.S. 2017 | Statistic". Statista. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  10. ↑ Travel Channel Has a New Look - Travel Channel (published October 1, 2018; accessed October 7, 2018)
  11. ↑ "Scripps buys Travel Channel Int'l". C21Media. March 22, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Scripps Networks Interactive completes Travel Channel International acquisition". New York Times. May 1, 2012.
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