Discovery moving HQ to Scripps in Knoxville

Discovery Communications announced that they will move their national operations headquarters to Knoxville.

In a letter to employees obtained by WATE 6 On Your Side, Discovery CEO David Zaslav told employees the company was making changes to redefine the company's global real estate strategy.

Discovery, which announced it was buying Scripps Networks Interactive in July 2017, is closing its Silver Spring, Maryland operation, moving its national operations headquarters to Knoxville and relocating global operations to New York City.

"Featuring a compelling environment and infrastructure, Knoxville is a self-contained campus with many amenities and benefits for a National Operations Headquarters, including low cost of living, built-in facilities, and operational capabilities," wrote Zaslav.

The company employs about 1,300 full-time employees in Maryland.

The Knoxville campus houses the major Scripps brands and creative digital teams along with corporate functions.

Zaslav said an announcement on timing would be available after the Scripps deal closes and the integration begins.

"The pending acquisition [of Scripps] has allowed us to undertake an in-depth analysis of where we work and how we work, and the chance to create the most efficient locations for our best-in-class creative, technology, production and operating functions to thrive now, and into the future," wrote Zaslav.

Discovery agreed to purchase Scripps Networks Interactive for $14.6 billion in July 2017.

Source: WATE, by Marshall Stephens

The East Tennessee Economic Development Agency markets and recruits business for the 15 counties in the greater Knoxville-Oak Ridge region of East Tennessee. Visit www.eteda.org

Published January 19, 2018