News
Change Region...

Discovery Press Web United States

Discovery Digital Media

Choose Network...

DISCOVERY DIGITAL NETWORKS’ ‘SEEKER’ BRINGS AUDIENCES NEW EXPERIENCES FROM AROUND THE WORLD – AND ABOVE IT – WITH ‘SEEKER VR’

– Viewers Soar to the ‘Edge of the Earth’ in Premiere VR Experience –

September 22, 2016

Contact - Erin Calhoun
(212) 548- 5183

San Francisco – Discovery Digital Networks today announces SEEKER VR, a robust VR and 360-degree content offering that extends the incredible storytelling and sense of adventure that Seeker is known for. The immersive creator network, hosted on YouTube, features content from a vast community of fun-loving, popular digital storytellers, including Juan-Peter (JP) Schulze, Jason Silva and Louis Cole. Equipped with custom, proprietary VR equipment, and supported by Seeker’s award-winning editorial and production teams, these specially-selected creators travel to all corners of the world bringing their remarkable experiences to life – and to millions of viewers. 

 

“Seeker is dedicated to producing and empowering the most interesting, engaging and thought-provoking content in science and exploration. One of the great ways to achieve that mission is to employ every storytelling technology we can and that certainly includes VR,” said Suzanne Kolb, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Discovery Digital Networks. “We’re thrilled to bring original VR programming produced by our outstanding team and our talented creative partners to Seeker’s 46M+ subscribers while also attracting new viewers.”

 

Leading the launch of SEEKER VR is the mesmerizing EDGE OF THE EARTH, the network’s desire to push the boundaries of VR with Seeker’s first experiment in producing 360-degree video in extreme conditions. The thrilling experience brings viewers alongside a weather balloon propelling them 114,000 feet above the earth, breaking through a raincloud that is audibly sleeting before emerging into the upper atmosphere. Guided narration coupled with a gauge displaying altitude, speed and temperature accompanies viewers along this amazing journey, capturing important points of reference – including the cruising altitude of a commercial jet and the height of Mount Everest. 

Other experiences from SEEKER VR available at launch include: 

  • RHINOS ON THE MOVE: It took a village – and elephants! – to transport Nepalese rhinos more than 250 miles where they’re forming a new population. Discovery Communications supported WWF on a translocation earlier this year – and Seeker’s cameras captured it all.

 

  • SURF SCHOOL WITH KYLE THIERMANN: Pro surfer Kyle takes us to his hometown beach in Santa Cruz, California, and teaches viewers how to catch waves in this incredible immersive tutorial.

 

  • INSIDE THE ARCTIC DOOMSDAY SEED VAULT: Go inside the ‘Doomsday Vault’ formally known as The Global Seed Vault on the remote Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard. We reveal the vaults significance to food security and why Syria withdrew seeds from the vault for the very first time in history.

 

  • HEARING COLORS: Synesthesia is a neurological condition of “joined senses” – where one sense leads to the involuntary trigger of a second sense. For violinist Kaitlyn Hova, this means she sees colors when she hears music. See what Kaitlyn sees as she performs Vivaldi.

SEEKER VR is available on YouTube and through YouTube for Samsung Gear VR powered by Oculus, and Oculus Rift. 

About Seeker

Seeker is a digital network for a new generation of bright and curious minds; an invitation to share openly, evolve understanding, experiment often, and to concede that knowledge is fleeting. We build engaging, award-winning content in the realms of science, world and exploration for passionate audiences across the diverse digital landscape. Seek for yourself at Seeker.com.

 

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the leader in global entertainment reaching 3 billion cumulative viewers in more than 220 countries and territories. Discovery satisfies curiosity, entertains and inspires viewers with high-quality content through global brands, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, as well as U.S. joint venture network OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, and through the Discovery Digital Networks portfolio, including Seeker and SourceFed. Discovery owns Eurosport, the leading pan-regional sports entertainment destination across Europe and Asia-Pacific. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of K-12 digital textbooks, through Discovery Education. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com