Discovery Plus offers a vast on-demand library focused on reality TV, home improvement, food, true crime and more. With shows and series from the Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network and other networks, Discovery‘s streaming service gives you access to thousands of episodes for entertainment, learning and lifestyle topics.
However, as your viewing habits evolve or you re-evaluate your streaming budget, you may look to cut Discovery Plus. Fortunately, the cancellation process through the Discovery Plus website is straightforward. But there are some key steps, options and policies to understand before closing your account.
This comprehensive guide will walk through how to cancel Discovery Plus in detail, outlining:
- Step-by-Step Instructions to Cancel
- Pricing and Membership Context
- Comparison to Other Major Streaming Services
- Cancellation Policies and Industry Practices
- Considerations Before Reactivating Discovery Plus
- Expert Commentary and Best Practices
Let‘s explore each aspect to empower you to make the best decisions related to your Discovery Plus subscription and streaming needs overall.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough to Cancel Discovery Plus
Canceling your paid Discovery Plus account is simple and can be done in just a few minutes online. Follow these instructions:
1. Log into Your Discovery Plus Account
First, navigate to discoveryplus.com in your preferred web browser on a computer, phone or tablet. Click on the profile icon in the top right corner of the screen, and select "Account" from the dropdown menu.
This will bring you to the account management portal where you can view settings, payment info and manage your membership.
2. Access Your Account Settings
In the left-side navigation menu, click on the "Subscription" link under the Account section. This will open your membership details.
Here you can see:
- Subscription plan type
- Monthly or yearly billing date
- Payment method on file
Review your details to understand your current billing and plan structure before cancellation.
3. Locate and Select Cancel Subscription
Near the bottom of the subscriptions box, you will see a blue link labeled "Cancel Subscription". Click this link to initiate closing your Discovery Plus membership.
4. Pick a Cancellation Reason
On the next page, Discovery Plus will ask you "Why are you canceling?" with a short survey.
Select whichever reason best represents why you have decided to cancel from options like:
- I‘m not watching enough content
- Technical issues with the app or site
- I want to save money
- I want to switch to another service
- Discovery Plus content selection is lacking
Be honest in picking an option so Discovery Plus understands why consumers are churning.
5. Confirm Cancellation
After picking your reason, Discovery Plus will display a confirmation page reviewing your selection. Here you can confirm once more that you want to close your account.
Click the red button labeled ”Cancel Subscription” to complete the process.
6. Review Cancellation Details
Finally, you will be shown details related to your membership cancellation including:
- Date subscription access ends
- Reminder that you can still watch until then
- Option to reactive your account before end date
This info is handy to take note as you transition from being a Discovery Plus subscriber.
And that completes formally canceling your account! As you saw, it only takes a few minutes to do directly through the Discovery Plus website.
Discovery Plus Pricing and Membership Context
Before canceling your Discovery Plus service, it helps to review the pricing and membership options to determine what plan you currently have. It also never hurts to see if a different tier may better meet your needs before fully cutting the cord.
Here is an overview of Discovery Plus pricing as of February 2023:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Yearly Cost | Ad Support? | Offline Viewing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery+ Monthly | $4.99/month | – | Yes | Yes |
| Discovery+ Annual | – | $59.99/year | Yes | Yes |
| Discovery+ Ad-Free Monthly | $6.99/month | – | No | Yes |
| Discovery+ Ad-Free Annual | – | $99.99/year | No | Yes |
A few things stand out from the pricing breakdown:
- Monthly plans do not require an annual commitment
- Yearly plans offer a discount (~2 months free per year paid upfront)
- Ad-free tiers cost more but offer an enhanced experience
- All tiers allow downloading shows offline on mobile
So evaluate whether a different tier may be more cost effective depending on your preferences. Or if paying annually instead of monthly works better with your budget.
Understanding the pricing model also lets you know what rebates you may receive if canceling mid-cycle. There are no termination fees or penalties – rather you continue accessing Discovery Plus until the current payment period expires.
For example, if you pay monthly and cancel on February 11th, your access would continue until March 1st when the next payment date would occur.
Keeping this billing context in mind, find the optimal cancellation timing that maximizes your remaining value.
How Discovery Plus Compares to Other Streaming Services
To determine if canceling Discovery Plus fully is the right move, it helps compare the available content, pricing and features to alternatives.
While discovery+ focuses on reality TV, home, food, true crime and other non-fiction, other services may better meet your interests.
Here is how Discovery Plus stacks ups against major competitors as of early 2023 in the streaming space when considering canceling:
| Service | Monthly Price | Top Genres | Ad Support? | # of Titles | Mobile Downloads? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery+ | $4.99+ | Reality, Lifestyle | Some Plans | 55,000+ episodes | Yes |
| Netflix | $6.99+ | Movies, TV | No | ~3,600 movies | Yes |
| Hulu | $7.99+ | TV, Movies | Mostly | 85,000+ episodes | Yes |
| Disney+ | $7.99 | Family, Marvel, Star Wars | No | 16,000+ | Yes |
| HBO Max | $9.99 | Movies, TV | No | 13,000+ | Yes |
Looking at content libraries, pricing, ads, and key features shows how Discovery Plus measures up.
A few interesting findings emerge:
Content Libraries: For TV & movies, Netflix and Hulu still dominate. But Discovery has significantly more episodes thanks to all the reality/lifestyle programming and episodes.
Pricing: Discovery Plus starts cheaper than most competitors, especially for ad-supported tiers. Good option if on a budget. However, Netflix basic still cheapest overall.
Ads: You can pay more on Discovery Plus to remove ads, unlike Disney+ and Netflix which are always ad-free.
Features: Discovery Plus and all others allow downloading for offline viewing, unlike some rivals.
Analyzing this comparison shows whether alternatives like Netflix or Hulu might be better options versus canceling streaming access fully after leaving Discovery Plus.
The variety in content and features shows why having 2-3 services can serve broader interests best. The pricing breakdown also informs budget decisions.
Cancellation and Account Policies Across Streaming Industry
In addition to comparing Discovery Plus‘ content and pricing to competitors, you should also contrast the cancellation and account policies across the streaming industry.
This provides useful context to know if Discovery Plus‘ cancellation process is standard and fair. As well as typical timelines or issues that may come up if reactivating an account down the line.
Here is an overview of cancellation best practices and policies users should be aware of across top streaming platforms:
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No Early Termination Fees: Services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and Discovery+ do NOT charge fees or penalties for canceling mid-cycle. You retain access until the renewal date.
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Month‘s Notice: Industry standard is requiring 1 month notice minimum to cancel. Gives users access until next billing cycle.
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Cancellation Grace Periods: Many services offer members 1 week to 1 month grace period to reactivate with same preferences after canceling.
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Resuming Does Not Lose Favorites: Your viewing history, favorites, and personalization settings are retained for 3-6 months typically if you restart the service. Content libraries may have shifted but you do not lose all customizations.
As you can see, Discovery Plus‘ lack of termination fees, ability to cancel anytime, and grace period to restart align with industry best practices. No differentiated red flags exist around their policies.
But once canceled, be aware your viewing history and favorites may expire after 90 days. So screenshot any queues or playlists you want to remember before resubmitting.
What to Know Before Reactivating Discovery Plus
A huge benefit of streaming services is the ability to churn accounts – meaning canceling and resubmitting over time to take advantage of promotions.
If you cancel Discovery Plus but realize down the line you miss some shows, here are key aspects to reactivating:
Review New Member Offers First
Discovery Plus frequently offers discounts like 25-30% off for the first 3 months for new members. Before resuming a cancelled account, check their latest promotions. Creating a fresh account may score better intial deals.
Monitor Content Updates
While canceled, take note of any new shows, episodes or exclusives added to Discovery Plus. Check their social media or announcements for bigger title launches. Having fresh content you want to binge will bring back more value.
Set Calendar Reminders
Many streaming services including Discovery Plus offer annual promotions around peak seasons like holidays or summer travel months. Set calendar reminders to check back for deals in 6-12 months if currently signing back up at full price. Take advantage of sales cycles.
Compare Competitor Movements
Keep tabs on the streaming space while canceled from Discovery Plus. If rivals like Netflix or Hulu increase pricing or lose appealing shows, reactivating Discovery makes more sense if delivering better value in comparison.
Expert Commentary and Best Practices for Streaming
As a technology products analyst and streaming industry expert, I want to close with some commentary, recommendations and best practices when evaluating canceling streaming services like Discovery Plus:
Seek Out True Annual Pricing First
While Discovery Plus offers 30% off for first 3 months promotions that can sway new sign-ups, I always advise consumers first calculate full yearly costs of subscriptions. Monthly prices are tempting but disguise bigger totals and limit accounting visibility. Yearly plans create better commitment and savings.
Analyze Your Actual Streaming Usage
Carefully analyze how many hours a week you actually watch Discovery Plus when considering cancellation. Many subscribers overestimate usage which skews value perception. Track your streaming analytics if apps support it or self-monitor. Align spending to match reality.
Cut Costs By Mixing Tiered Plans
Rather than canceling Discovery Plus fully if budget constrained, explore combining it with an alternate service. Get Discovery Plus basic ($4.99) then supplement with a premium Netflix plan for more exclusives. Tier both at lower levels to cut approx. 30% expenses.
Don‘t Lose Favorites When Churning Accounts
My top tip when cancelling and planning to restart streaming services down the line is always screenshot your watchlists, favorites and queues before cutting off access. Losing your customizations and personalization is the #1 headache. Easily avoid by digitally recording lineups beforehand.
I hope these best practices, expert tips and market context gives you greater clarity around evaluating if, when and why canceling your Discovery Plus account makes sense. Take advantage of the straightforward cancellation process but avoid losing your preferences. And leverage the flexibility of streaming memberships to optimize plans to meet your changing tastes and budgets over time.
Let me know if this guide empowered your cancellation decisions or you have any other streaming questions!
