How did Curiosity Stream achieve profitability? In this interview, Curiosity Stream CEO Clint Stinchcomb explained that an advanced distribution strategy is essential and that GenAI is part of its future.
Introduction (1:00)
It is fair to say that Curiosity Stream is a survivor of the SVOD wars. Founded in 2015 by John Hendricks, the founder of Discovery Channel, the service boasts 25 million paying subscribers across 175 countries.
From the beginning, the company’s approach to the SVOD market has been radically different from that of general entertainment services like Netflix and Hulu. The company’s flagship streaming service set out to become the leading factual SVOD and has kept pricing significantly lower than rivals. The monthly subscription cost is $5, which drops to $3.34 when billed annually.
It creates original programming across various genres, including natural history, science, and history. It also licenses content and boasts a library of 19,000 titles. As one of the oldest streaming TV services, Curiosity Stream has had a chance to develop an advanced distribution strategy spanning an owned and operated service, FAST channels, operators, and brands. I particularly wanted to speak with Clint Stinchcomb, President and CEO of Curiosity Stream, about this distribution strategy and caught up with him at the StreamTV Show in June. We also discuss how he is leaning into the opportunities afforded by AI and LLMs.
Mr. Stinchcomb has also appeared at the TV of Tomorrow Show and was previously seen on Televisionation in an interview with Rick Howe on his Friday Fireside conversations in 2020.
But before we get to the interview…
Have you checked out the TVOT Connect live webinar discussions every other Thursday at 11 AM Pacific? These highly interactive sessions led by Tracy Swedlow and me allow you to be heard, learn, and network with your peers. We invite senior industry insiders to come and discuss the topics that are shaping our industry. Then, we open the floor to allow you to ask questions and give your perspective. There are many benefits to becoming a member of TVOT Connect, including discounted entry to the TV of Tomorrow show, access to classes on topics core to the streaming TV industry, and much more. And though many of the sessions are free to all, some are exclusive to members only, where you will hear topics discussed with a frankness you won’t encounter anywhere else. For details about membership and the next session, point your browser at https://itvt.com/tvot/connect/.
Now, on with the interview.
CuriosityStream is profitable (4:10)
On the podcast, Mr. Stinchcomb announced that CuriosityStream is profitable and described some of the service’s other achievements.
CuriosityNow FAST channel’s progress (5:40)
CuriosityStream was early into the FAST opportunity when it launched Curiosity Now on LG Channels in early 2022. The company has expanded FAST distribution over the last two years. For example, it recently launched Curiosity Español, Curiosity Animales, and Curiosity Motores on Samsung TV Plus in association with Estrella Media.
FAST channels as a driver of subscriptions (7:10)
FAST channels provide incremental revenue from advertising, but how well do they attract new subscribers to Curiosity’s owned-and-operated streaming service?
How Curiosity is using AI (8:30)
The service is available in 176 countries but supports only twelve languages. AI is helping drive the cost of the translations down so that the company can afford to dub into more languages. Mr. Stinchcomb also explains why he is considering licensing the company’s content to AI companies for LLM training purposes.
Using GenAI (10:40)
Much of CuriosityStream’s content has “voice-of-god narration.” This type of content works better with genAI-powered narration.
Curiosity’s smart bundle (11:40)
Bundling is a strong theme in the SVOD industry. Once again, CuriosityStream is pioneering with its Mr. $9.99 smart bundle, which includes content from Tastemade, KidsStream, Curiosity University, and Somm TV.
