We finally have the exact date DIY Network will turn into Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network — the linear version.
Magnolia, which has already been available as a streaming option, will become a cable TV channel on Jan. 5, 2022. The rebrand becomes official with the linear premiere of The Gaineses’ “Fixer Upper: Welcome Home” at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
We previously knew the DIY-to-Magnolia rebrand would take place in January.
The Magnolia linear launch, like pretty much everything else in Hollywood and beyond, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally intended to be an SVOD option that could either be bundled with Discovery+ or subscribed to on its own, Magnolia was tacked on to Discovery+ — for free — this past summer.
Earlier this year, Magnolia President Allison Page laid out the change of heart as more of an “evolution to free,” and not so much a “shift,” in a conversation with TheWrap.
“A direct-to-consumer offering was something we envisioned from the beginning, we just thought we were going to start with linear and then move to the app. It was not determined that it would be paid, we kind of stayed open to all options as we went along. So that wasn’t a shift as much as an evolution,” Page said in response to TheWrap’s question during a panel at the Television Critics Association press tour. “But I think, you know, you’ve got an ad-supported layer within discovery+, and then with our linear rebrand next year, that’s obviously a piece of it as well. And then we’re talking about options within the app. But the evolution to free was an evolution and not really a shift in that front.”
The channel’s inaugural linear slate will feature episodes from original series, including “Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines,” “Restoration Road With Clint Harp,” “Home Work,” “The Lost Kitchen,” “Family Dinner,” “The Johnnyswim Show” and “Super Dad,” among others.
It will also have the full, five-season library for the original “Fixer Upper.” And episodes from “This Old House” will fill out the Magnolia schedule.
Magnolia will also inherit DIY Network shows like “Stone House Revival,” “Building Off the Grid” and “Beachfront Bargain Hunt: Renovation.” New seasons of DIY’s “Maine Cabin Masters,” “Barnwood Builders,” “Restoring Galveston” and “Bargain Mansions” will also become Magnolia originals.
“It wasn’t long ago that watching TV meant time together as a family. It was a place where people of all ages could gather and be informed, entertained, and inspired by the kind of honest, authentic programming that brings people closer,” Chip and Joanna Gaines said in a statement. “That’s what we’ve set out to build with Magnolia Network, and we’ve been amazed by the stories and storytellers we’ve found, people whose lives are living proof that our world is full of beauty, hope, courage, and curiosity. We can’t wait to see these stories brought to life on cable this January, and we’re hopeful about the impact it might have — to help reclaim the best of what television can be.”
“It is a thrilling moment to be bringing this network to the very platform that first introduced Chip and Jo to the world just eight years ago. From home and design, to food and garden, to inspirational and uplifting stories of all kinds, we are introducing a new lifestyle brand defined by authenticity, beauty and vulnerability,” Page added on Tuesday. “On the heels of our successful digital launch this past July, we are excited to fulfill our initial goal of bringing Magnolia Network to the broadest audience possible, meeting viewers wherever they are.”
Magnolia Network is a joint venture between Discovery, Inc. and The Gaineses.