DiscoveryPlus streaming service offers exclusives, never-before-seen episodes

DiscoveryPlus is the latest network-specific streaming service that the world of television has to offer, and it is as great as it sounds.

Whether you love drama, crime, or cooking shows, DiscoveryPlus has you covered. Popular channels like HGTV, TLC, Food Network, and Animal Planet and their more than 55,000 episodes are available on-demand, with prices starting as low as $4.99 per month after a free seven-day trial. If you're a Verizon customer, check out your MyVerizon account and get the first six months for free (after that, you are charged $6.99/month for the commercial-free version).

If you already subscribe to services like Hulu or have cable TV and do not want to subscribe to a new service, don't worry; it is unlikely that Discovery and their associated channels will pull all of their content from the other services. However, the app does offer some exclusive shows, like Worst Cooks in America: Dirty Dishes, which is basically comedians reacting to some of the most cringe-worthy kitchen situations. Easy to watch, and usually makes me feel better about my own kitchen oops'.

The app is available on many streaming platforms: Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Fire streaming services, Roku, Apple products (including Apple TV), Xbox One, Google and Android-powered devices, and will be available on Amazon Prime soon, though a date hasn't been announced.

Unfortunately, if you have a Vizio TV or a Playstation system, you'll have to download the app on your phone, cast your favorite shows on your TV or watch them on a small screen, which can be a bit annoying. We have a Vizio TV in our entertainment room, and I have found casting more annoying than most of the shows are worth.

So far, I have gone almost an entire weekend with 90 Day Fiance, exclusive behind-the-scenes specials, and Before 90 Days stories without a single episode repeating. I've also discovered the hilarious Slaton sisters, Tammy and Amy, who share their extreme weight loss journeys on 1,000 Pound Sisters- which I have become oddly invested in.

Overall, the service is excellent. Discovery and all of their associated channels have done a fantastic job thinking up stories and creative ways to film them during the pandemic-lots of Zooms involved! While there are a few minor hiccups that are being fixed, it has earned my recommendation!