• by Alex Weprin , October 9, 2018

Discovery Inc. is joining the ranks of legacy TV companies making a significant play in the digital content space.

The company says that it has formed a new business unit called Discovery Digital Studios Group, which will become a corporate hub for digital and social-video content creation.

The Digital Studios Group will create and produce content for the websites of Discovery properties (including foodnetwork.com and tlc.com), social media platforms, TV Everywhere products, and the company’s direct-to-consumer businesses and brands. It will also develop branded content for the company’s digital properties.

Discovery has tapped Vikki Neil to serve as the executive vice president-GM, Digital Studios Group. Neil had been senior vice president-GM, Scripps Lifestyle Studios, which ran the digital content businesses of the former Scripps Networks Interactive channels.

Discovery completed its acquisition of Scripps earlier this year.

Neil will report to Kathleen Finch, chief lifestyle brands officer for Discovery, and also work closely with Peter Faricy, CEO of the company’s direct-to-consumer unit.

A number of traditional TV companies are investing in digital studios, taking their digital content creation in-house.

Most notably, Viacom has launched a number of digital studios for its brands, including MTV and Nickelodeon, as well as at the corporate level with Viacom Digital Studios. Those studios produce content for the company’s digital and social platforms, and in some cases produce content for outside services and platforms.