Hardware Podcasts

Discovery Channel and Curiosity Stream: John Hendricks

How I Built This · 17 Jan 2022 · 1h 13m

What this episode covers

John Hendricks, founder of Discovery Channel and Curiosity Stream, recounts the arduous process of launching a documentary cable network in the early 1980s with no money, no content, and no industry connections. He details the strategic pivot from a pure educational model to a hybrid revenue stream of advertising and carriage fees, culminating in a near-death experience when a $6 million investment collapsed days before closing. Hendricks explains how he secured final funding from cable mogul John Malone and TCI, later launching Curiosity Stream to return to his original mission of high-quality nonfiction content in the streaming era.

Most relevant to

founders before launch and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Westinghouse, BBC, TCI, Alan and Company, Chronicle Publishing, Netflix, HBO, CNN, ESPN, MTV, Comcast, Cox, United Cable
Products
Discovery Channel, Curiosity Stream, Shark Week, Planet Earth, Cosmos, The Children of Abraham
Also
John Malone

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