Chip & Joanna Gaines Are Grateful for Magnolia Network's Year-Long Delay: 'The World Is Ready'

Magnolia Network will take over the existing DIY Network on cable television at 9PM ET on Jan. 5

Chip and Joanna Gaines's Magnolia Network officially makes its TV debut Wednesday, more than a year after its original planned premiere date. But the couple say they couldn't be happier with the timing.

"I think, looking back, we couldn't have planned it any better," Joanna told host Good Morning America host Lara Spencer of finally introducing the channel following pandemic-related production delays. "It's January, it's a new year. Just the message of hope and inspiration from these storytellers and the stories that they're telling… The world is ready for that kind of beauty to be seen."

Magnolia Network officially debuts on cable on Wednesday, rebranding the existing DIY Network. It will air more than 24 new lifestyle-focused shows handpicked by Chip and Jo, many of which focus on joy, creativity and family. The switch happens at 9 p.m. ET, with the cable premiere of Fixer Upper: Welcome Home, the reboot of the couple's mega-popular HGTV series.

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"We need this content at such a time as this," Chip agrees. "I think people are feeling optimistic about this new year. I really feel hopeful and optimistic, and I think this message is going to fuel those thoughts."

Courtesy Magnolia Network

In February 2021, PEOPLE reported that the cable launch of the Gaines's network, originally planned for October 2020, then "early 2021," would be pushed to January 2022.

"Our original plan was to launch in cable and follow in a streaming environment, but the most unconventional of years dealt us challenges and opportunities we never could have foreseen," Magnolia Network President Allison Page said in a release at the time.

Instead, they launched first with streaming, debuting Magnolia Network on Discovery+ in July 2021.

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Chip and Joanna also shared their feelings about the news at the time: "From the beginning, our aim for Magnolia Network has been to tell good stories. Stories that bring us together, that inspire and encourage us all to try something new. Stories that are told in ways that feel authentic. Our plan has evolved along the way, but our original vision for this network has remained the same."

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According to a press release, cable subscribers who currently have DIY Network in their TV package will automatically have access to Magnolia Network on Jan. 5, while those who do not currently have DIY can contact their providers to add the new network to their package.

In addition to Fixer Upper: Welcome Home, the Gaineses will be launching with a huge slate of original programming throughout the month of January, including shows like Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines, Restoration Road with Clint Harp, Home Work, Family Dinner, The Johnnyswim Show, Mind for Design and Zoë Bakes. Five seasons' worth of the original Fixer Upper will also air on the channel.

Magnolia Discovery Networks

Come February, two more original series will premiere — Super Dad and The Lost Kitchen — as well as Season 2 of Magnolia Table. In March, Season 3 of Magnolia Table will drop, as well as three more series: Ranch to Table, Inn the Works and Homegrown.

Many of these original series are also already available to stream on Discovery+. Several existing DIY Network shows will also become part of the Magnolia Network roster. Look out for new seasons of Maine Cabin Masters, Barnwood Builders, Restoring Galveston and Bargain Mansions. Episodes from the perennial favorite This Old House will also air on Magnolia.