Motor Trend (TV network)

Motor Trend
CountryUnited States
HeadquartersEl Segundo, California
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format1080i HDTV
Ownership
OwnerTNT Sports
ParentMotor Trend Group
Sister channels
History
LaunchedJune 17, 2002; 22 years ago (2002-06-17)
Former names
  • Discovery HD Theater
  • (2002–2007)
  • HD Theater
  • (2007–2011)
  • Velocity
  • (2011–2018)
Links
Websitewatch.motortrend.com
Availability
Streaming media
Affiliated Streaming ServiceMax
Service(s)FuboTV, Philo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, Vidgo

Motor Trend is an American automotive television network owned by Motor Trend Group, a subsidiary of the TNT Sports division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It primarily broadcasts automotive-themed programming, including motorsports events.

It was originally founded in 2002 as Discovery HD Theater (later HD Theater), the first 24/7 high-definition basic cable network. It featured high-definition programming from its other channels. Redundant after the introduction of high-definition simulcasts for Discovery's networks, it re-launched by Robert Scanlon, Dan Russell, Shaan Akbar, Douglas Lerner, Nicole Tong, David Lee and Kelly Mahoney in 2011 as Velocity—an "upscale male" network primarily featuring automotive programming. Following Discovery's acquisition of a majority stake in the magazine's publisher, it was announced that Velocity would rebrand as Motor Trend on November 23, 2018, as a brand extension of the automotive magazine Motor Trend.

As of November 2023, MT is available to approximately 65,000,000 pay television households in the United States-down from its 2017 peak of 74,000,000 households.[1]

  1. ^ "U.S. cable network households (universe), 1990 – 2023". wrestlenomics.com. May 14, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2019.