The latest company to get into streaming is The Discovery Channel. Surprised? Discovery's CEO, John Hendricks, wants to try his luck at what HBO has had much success in: streaming shows via Discovery's website. HBO currently offers streaming services to subscribers through HBO Go, and Discovery would offer similar services - with just one hitch.

The Discovery streaming channels available online would come with a subscription fee. Subscribers would have to pay this fee, which would be around $6 to $8 (according to Reuters). The Discovery Network includes many different channels including Animal Planet, TLC, and the Science Channel. But, wait, doesn't The Discovery Channel already offer streaming shows?

The Difference

If you subscribe to a streaming service like Netflix, you can already watch shows from The Discovery Channel, so why would you pay an extra fee? Well, the service that is underway right now would include new shows. Currently, you can only watch repeats of shows.

The newest streaming service would include brand new content that you haven't seen before. That's the difference, and it might be the reason why you will want the new Discovery streaming service option. The service is currently in the works, but you won't be able to get your hands on it for another four to five years.

There's some other Discovery Channel news today too. Discovery has been hard at work on some new apps for Windows Phone 8. These three new apps will let subscribers stream content from TLS, The Discovery Channel, and Animal Planet directly in-app. Most of these streaming options are clips, but some full-length shows are also available.

A Good or Bad Idea?

There's little doubt that offering a new subscription streaming service could bring in some revenue for the company. However, Discovery might be asking too much. For as much as a streaming company like Netflix asks of its subscribers monthly, Discovery wants to bring people less content. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

It's also worth noting that Discovery doesn't offer many of the most popular shows out there. In fact, some subscribers only watch a few key shows, so new content may not entice at all. Why would Discovery try to set up a streaming service that seems bound to fail? This seems like a money grab to me, but it might not work out for the company.

Like the Idea?

If you love Discovery and love this idea, you may want to jump on the subscription bandwagon. As mentioned, you'll have to wait more than four years to do so, but that time will pass quickly enough. Hate this idea? Let me know below (heck, let Discovery know!).

Streaming services are all the rage, but usually these services come with shows and features that people actually want. Offering a streaming service that doesn't offer more than an expensive subscription without a lot of content isn't bound to attract too many subscribers. Unless, of course, Discovery has some new and amazing shows in the works.