• by Alex Weprin , December 14, 2018

There is another streaming network joining the over-the-top video fray, and this one is a household name.

Smithsonian Networks is launching Smithsonian Channel Plus, a subscription on-demand streaming service, costing $4.99 per month.

The service will be available through an app on Apple, Android, Roku, and Amazon devices. It will also be available through Amazon Channels by the end of this year.

The service will not include advertising, at least at launch, but will include over 1,000 hours of content, including 4K series, documentaries, and shows liker “Aerial America,” and “Million Dollar American Princesses.”

It also includes all of Smithsonian’s earth and nature documentaries.

Smithsonian Networks is a joint venture of the Smithsonian Institution and the premium TV network Showtime. Showtime has a direct-to-consumer offering of its own, with an emphasis on movies, original comedies and dramas.

Smithsonian joins the OTT market in a genre that is somewhat underserved. CuriosityStream, created by John Hendricks, the founder of Discovery Channel, also serves nonfiction programming, while a few film services offer documentaries.

To date, most of the TV players in the space have not shifted their content to OTT offerings.