Discovery Communications is teaming up with Google to deliver video clips of historic sites and other points of interest around the world through Google's Google Earth software, underscoring the cable
programmer's stated initiative to expand beyond television. Discovery, operator of 100 plus networks in 170 countries, will implement streaming video of sites like Yellowstone National Park in
Wyoming, the Great Wall of China and London's Trafalgar Square into Google's satellite mapping software, the companies announced yesterday. As users scan the digital earth, Google will place a globe
icon next to certain sites that link to two-to-four minute clips from Discovery's archives. Locations will initially be limited to 10 U.S. national parks, including Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore and
Dinosaur National Park. Clicking on the globe icon brings users to a Discovery-hosted site, where the company plans to sell advertising. "We view this as a big, big revenue opportunity," said one
Discovery exec, noting the company had already received interest from several advertisers. The service will no doubt expand to include sponsored information and hosted pages about the sites
themselves, linking to vacation package providers, hotels, airline info, etc. This could prove to be an important resource for people planning vacations. Google, which makes money from Google Earth by
selling ads that appear with map results and by selling premium and professional versions of the application, won't directly make money from the deal, which is nonexclusive, but hopes Discovery's
content will promote a wider adoption of the program.
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