Discovery Communications has acquired local Italian media company Switchover Media, which owns four free-to-air channels and one pay-TV channel, in a move that will make Discovery the third-largest TV name in Italy, according to Variety.

Italian TV is currently dominated by public broadcaster RAI and Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset.

The Switchover purchase boosts Discovery’s already active TV presence in the country, which includes two free DTT stations, the female-oriented Real Time, the male-oriented DMAX, its global flagship station Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.