Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the

Warner Bros. Discovery Networks Warner can refer to: People * Warner (writer) * Warner (given name) * Warner (surname) Fictional characters * Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs'' * Aaron Warner, a character in ''Shatter Me se ...

unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily devoted to series and documentaries about wild animals and domestic pets. The channel was originally a joint venture with

BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetises BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...

, and primarily focused on nature documentaries surrounding wildlife, targeting a family audience. In 2008, Animal Planet rebranded with a more mature programming direction, with a greater emphasis on aggressive and predatory portrayals of animals, as well as an increase in reality series following personalities involved in animal-related occupations and investigations. Animal Planet rebranded again in October 2018, pivoting away from its more aggressive branding. , approximately 91,603,000 households receive Animal Planet. Discovery has also established or licensed international versions of the channel in various regions.

History

Animal Planet was launched on June 1, 1996; it was created by Discovery Communications in cooperation with

. On January 1, 1997, Animal Planet's distribution grew as a result of Advance Entertainment Corporation selling the satellite transponder slot belonging to the

WWOR EMI Service WWOR EMI Service was a New York City-based American cable television channel that operated as a superstation feed of Secaucus, New Jersey-licensed WWOR-TV (channel 9). The service was uplinked to satellite from Syracuse, New York by Eastern Micr ...

(a national

superstation ''Superstation'' (alternatively rendered as "super station" or informally as "SuperStation") is a term in North American broadcasting that has several meanings. Commonly, a "superstation" is a form of distant signal, a terrestrial television, br ...

feed of

Secaucus, New Jersey Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,WWOR-TV, that was implemented following the 1989 passage of the Syndication Exclusivity Rights Rule by the Federal Communications Commission) to Discovery Communications, replacing the feed with Animal Planet outright. In late 2005, as part of a multi-million dollar expansion, the National Aquarium in Baltimore opened an exhibit called "Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extreme". Animal Planet and the National Aquarium in Baltimore announced a multi-year partnership the year prior, which produced an original orientation film that gives Aquarium visitors background on the Australian area which inspired the new exhibit and a dedicated area inside the expansion where visitors can learn about Animal Planet's conservation efforts and other programming. The partnership also allowed the possibility of future productions of television programs about the National Aquarium in Baltimore's research and exhibits. In 2006, BBC Worldwide sold its 20% interest in the flagship Animal Planet U.S. network back to Discovery Communications. The BBC maintained its 50% ownership in Animal Planet's European, Asian and Latin American channels, as well as a minority interest in Animal Planet Japan and Animal Planet Canada until November 15, 2010, when BBC Worldwide sold 50% interest in Animal Planet and Liv to Discovery Communications for $156 million. Animal Planet is additionally an associate member of the Caribbean Cable Cooperative. During the late 2000s, Genius Products announced a U.S. distribution agreement involving Animal Planet and

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an As ...

. Jakks Pacific also entered into a licensing agreement to develop Animal Planet-branded pet products.

2008 rebranding

On February 3, 2008, amidst declining average viewership, Animal Planet underwent a major revamp in its programming and branding. The new lineup placed a larger focus on series portraying animals as "characters" in their own right, and more "aggressive" and story-based entertainment series targeting mature viewers 13-49 (such as ''

Escape to Chimp Eden ''Escape to Chimp Eden'' is a television series broadcast on the Animal Planet network that premiered on February 8, 2008. The series examines the rescue of abused and neglected chimpanzees. History In ''Escape to Chimp Eden'', Eugene Cussons r ...

'' and the reality documentary series '' Whale Wars''), as opposed to traditional nature documentaries and family viewing. The network also adopted a new logo, replacing its previous "elephant and globe" emblem with a stylized wordmark, and the new slogan "Same Planet, Different World". Network president Marjorie Kaplan explained that Animal Planet had been too "soft" and family-oriented, and that it was aiming to be "more aggressive and tapping into the instinctual nature of compelling animal content." In April 2010, Animal Planet introduced a new slogan and marketing campaign, "Surprisingly Human," as an evolution of the 2008 rebranding. The slogan reflected Animal Planet's increasing number of personality-based series following animal-related investigations and occupations, such as '' River Monsters''. In April 2012, Animal Planet's entertainment-oriented direction was criticized after it broadcast '' Mermaids: The Body Found''—a

fictional documentary A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on ...

suggesting that mermaids were real. Despite its fictitious content, the documentary was widely viewed, and a follow-up entitled ''Mermaids: The New Evidence'' set an all-time ratings record for the channel.

2018 rebranding

On October 15, 2018, Animal Planet unveiled a new logo, featuring a symbol of a jumping elephant resembling the original logo. The new branding symbolizes a new mission of "keeping the childhood joy and wonder of animals alive by bringing people up close in every way." The new branding coincided with the October 28 premieres of ''

Crikey! It's the Irwins ''Crikey! It's the Irwins'' is an Australian reality television series starring Robert Irwin (television personality), Robert, Bindi Irwin, Bindi and Terri Irwin. The series follows the family of Steve Irwin, and their work at the Australia Zoo. ...

'' (a new series following the family of Steve Irwin) and ''Amanda to the Rescue'', and the premiere of ''Big Cat Stories'' the following night. On January 23, 2019, Animal Planet was launched in France, along with Discovery Turbo, Discovery World and TLC.

Programming

Recent additions to the channel, such as ''

Meerkat Manor ''Meerkat Manor'' is a British television programme produced by Oxford Scientific Films that premiered in September 2005. Originally broadcast on Animal Planet International for four series, until its cancellation in August 2008, the program ...

'' and ''

Orangutan Island ''Orangutan Island'' is an American documentary television series, in the style of the earlier series ''Meerkat Manor'', that blends more traditional documentary filming with dramatic narration. The series was produced by NHNZ with creator Judit ...

'', reflect its shift toward "predation programming" and more immersive storytelling. Animal Planet intended the new direction to help revitalize stagnating ratings, after primetime viewership of the network dropped by 9% in 2007. Animal Planet added pseudo-scientific documentary, reality television, and sitcom shows to its line-up. Animal Planet is also well known for the '' Puppy Bowl'', an annual special featuring puppies at play inside a

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

-themed setting. The special airs on the afternoon prior to the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...

, and was originally narrated by commentator and NFL Films narrator Harry Kalas before his death. On October 29, 2022, months after the merger of

Discovery, Inc. Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate (company), conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1985, the company operated a group of factual television, factual and lifestyle television bra ...

and WarnerMedia into Warner Bros. Discovery, it was announced that ''

Pit Bulls & Parolees Pit Bulls & Parolees is an American reality television series on Animal Planet. The series, which began in 2009, focuses on the Villalobos Rescue Center, a rescue for dogs, specifically pit bull dogs. The show's mission, stated in voiceover durin ...

'' would air its final season, while other shows like ''

Lone Star Law ''Lone Star Law'' is an American reality television series that debuted on June 2, 2016, on Animal Planet. Set in Texas and similar to its network sister show '' North Woods Law'', the show follows numerous game wardens of the Texas Parks and Wi ...

'' and ''Louisiana Law'' moved to Discovery Channel. With the exception of ''Puppy Bowl XIX'' that aired on the network February 12, 2023, the latest programming moves left Animal Planet to air reruns of the network's programming as well as other shows from other Discovery properties pre-WBD merger.

''Animal Planet Magazine''

D.C. Thomson & Co. partnered with Discovery to publish ''Animal Planet Magazine'' in the United Kingdom. The magazine's first issue was published on February 16, 2011.

References

External links

* {{Warner Bros. Discovery Networks Television networks in the United States Television channels and stations established in 1996 English-language television stations in the United States Warner Bros. Discovery networks