Science-Centric Streaming Service Curiosity Stream Is an AI-Licensing Firm Now

Why It Matters

The move shows how streaming companies can monetize vast content libraries beyond viewers, tapping the fast‑growing AI training market and potentially reshaping revenue strategies across the industry.

Summary

Curiosity Stream, the niche science‑focused streaming service founded by Discovery Channel’s John Hendricks, is pivoting to become an AI‑licensing firm. In Q3 2025 the company reported a 41% YoY revenue jump, driven largely by $23.4 million in licensing its original and third‑party content to train large‑language models – already more than half of its 2024 subscription revenue. CEO Clint Stinchcomb said the firm expects AI licensing to outpace subscriptions by 2027, if not sooner, as it now licenses 300,000 hours of its own and 1.7 million hours of third‑party content to hyperscalers and AI developers. The shift signals a new revenue model for niche streaming platforms facing subscriber fatigue and intense competition.