If you had to guess, why did The Hub fail?

[CoolerDash 1]

If only lasted 4 years. Why did it fail? I can't think of any other channel that had as short of a run in the united states. Whether its defunct channels like Discovery Kids or Toon Disney or still active channels like Nicktoons, Disney XD, Nick, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel. Why did The Hub last for so short of a time, it didn't even make it to 5 years?

[SharpWit 3,010]

It didn't fail. Hasbro and Discovery Communications were equal co-owners until Discovery purchased a controlling share of the company. They rebranded it to Discovery Family and continue to air MLP content to this day. Had it been intentionally put up for sale entirely to be bought out due to bad ratings or an inability to profit from its content, then I would consider it a failure.

[Snow 8,984]

Since I don't know why I can only guess

My guess is that the Hub Network shut shop due to low viewership and thus sub optimal profit. 

[KPackratt 1,446]

The rebrand to Discovery Family was a huge mistake in my opinion as it eventually led to Warner Bros. Discovery taking ownership of the broadcast and streaming rights for the My Little Pony G4 cartoons, leading to FIM seasons 5-9 being unavailable on streaming for a few years and Pony Life not being available to stream anywhere. If I was in charge at Discovery in 2014, I would've either sold The Hub Network to Disney or shut the channel down and sell the broadcast rights of their shows to other channels.

I'm really hoping that Warner Bros. Discovery doesn't renew their contract with Hasbro to last beyond the end of this year, otherwise I'm going to write a petition for them to sell the rights for the MLP G4 cartoons to Disney so they'll have a better chance at staying on streaming for years to come. Discovery Family has been airing MLP:FIM for far too long to the point where it has been detrimental to its streaming availability.

[Sparklefan1234 186,101]

53 minutes ago, KPackratt said:

otherwise I'm going to write a petition for them to sell the rights for the MLP G4 cartoons to Disney so they'll have a better chance at staying on streaming for years to come.

 I wish Disney owned the  My Little Pony franchise so that Friendship is Magic and everything related to My Little Pony could be on Disney Plus. 

I'd just like all of my favorite characters to be in one place and to have a Twilight Sparkle avatar on Disney Plus. 

Edited 11 hours ago by Sparklefan1234

[Denim&Venöm 21,445]

The Hub was a premium channel. You had to pay extra. That already cut its exposure. MLP and Transformers: Prime were the only flagship shows. Nearly everything else was a rerun.  Then Discovery rebranded it to save costs. Lastly it got made redundant by streaming services. 

The Hub was at least half a decade too late to the party. 

[Sparklefan1234 186,101]

1 minute ago, Denim&Venöm said:

The Hub was a premium channel. You had to pay extra. That already cut its exposure. MLP and Transformers: Prime were the only flagship shows. Nearly everything else was a rerun.  Then Discovery rebranded it to save costs. Lastly it got made redundant by streaming services. 

The Hub was at least half a decade too late to the party. 

Plus, programming on Discovery Family seems to be all reruns from their other networks last I checked unless they suddenly had an influx of new original shows. 

[Denim&Venöm 21,445]

2 minutes ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

Plus, programming on Discovery Family seems to be all reruns from their other networks last I checked unless they suddenly had an influx of new original shows. 

I haven't checked Discovery family in nearly a decade. I don't even know if its still up. Hasbro makes toys, not shows. So they really did need to licences out a bunch of '80s/'90s nostalgia for cheap. 

[Sparklefan1234 186,101]

3 minutes ago, Denim&Venöm said:

I haven't checked Discovery family in nearly a decade. I don't even know if its still up. Hasbro makes toys, not shows. So they really did need to licences out a bunch of '80s/'90s nostalgia for cheap. 

It's disappointing because The Hub started off pretty strong but the lack of expansion makes Discovery Family seem like it's taking up space for something better. (?)

Edited 11 hours ago by Sparklefan1234

[Denim&Venöm 21,445]

2 minutes ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

It's disappointing because The Hub started off pretty strong but the lack of expansion makes Discovery Family seem like it's taking up space for something better. (?)

Sounds like its being kept around because the channel loses money, but the shareholders would lose even more if it was reported WBD shelved an entire cable network. 

[Sparklefan1234 186,101]

1 minute ago, Denim&Venöm said:

Sounds like its being kept around because the channel loses money, but the shareholders would lose even more if it was reported WBD shelved an entire cable network. 

They're stuck with it? That's a bummer for WBD. 

[Denim&Venöm 21,445]

3 minutes ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

They're stuck with it? That's a bummer for WBD. 

To quote the Wiki:

Despite continuous financial losses on the channel, Hasbro did not exercise the right by the election period expiration date of March 31, 2025, and the company's noncontrolling interest was "reclassified from redeemable noncontrolling interest to noncontrolling interest outside of stockholders' equity on the Company's consolidated balance sheets".

[Sparklefan1234 186,101]

1 minute ago, Denim&Venöm said:

To quote the Wiki:

Despite continuous financial losses on the channel, Hasbro did not exercise the right by the election period expiration date of March 31, 2025, and the company's noncontrolling interest was "reclassified from redeemable noncontrolling interest to noncontrolling interest outside of stockholders' equity on the Company's consolidated balance sheets".

So, Hasbro are just rolling with it? 

[Denim&Venöm 21,445]

Moments ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

So, Hasbro are just rolling with it? 

I think WB & DCF are trying to hot potato it to one another. 

[Sparklefan1234 186,101]

2 minutes ago, Denim&Venöm said:

I think WB & DCF are trying to hot potato it to one another. 

So when WB is sold the MLP shows could be owned by someone else like, Netflix for example? 

[Denim&Venöm 21,445]

2 minutes ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

So when WB is sold the MLP shows could be owned by someone else like, Netflix for example? 

The license to broadcast goes to Netflix. The IP stays with Hasbro. Netflix ain't a toy company (yet).