(Reuters) – Discovery Inc on Wednesday said it will suspend the broadcast of its channels and services in Russia, joining a growing number of corporations withdrawing from the country in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
Fifteen of Discovery’s entertainment brands, including HGTV, Animal Planet, TLC and Eurosport, are distributed through Media Alliance, a joint venture with Russia’s National Media Group.
“Discovery has decided to suspend the broadcast of its channels and services in Russia,” the company said.
The announcement comes as CNN, the BBC and others suspended broadcasts from Russia in response to a new law that threatens journalists with prison time for disseminating “fake” news about what the Kremlin describes as a “special military operation.”
National Media Group also was in partnership with Netflix, which in late 2020 launched a version of the service with Russian subtitles, local films and offered local payment options. Netflix suspended its Russian service on Sunday.
(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski; editing by Peter Henderson and Sandra Maler)
