Peacock (Streaming Service)

[JungleSkip]

Well, we have details on the Comcast/NBC streaming service, and it's...interesting to say the least

NBC to launch free streaming service in 2020

-Free to Comcast customers
-Possibly free to other TV provider customers, depending on agreements Comcast can make
-Original Content
-Full NBC content
-Full Universal film catalog
-Launching 2020

 

[zg44]

This is the big move that I've been waiting on from Comcast after AT&T bought TimeWarner and the Murdochs' sold Fox's studios to Disney with Sky going to Comcast. All these content/distribution purchases have been about competing with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as well as the rest of the OTT services.


Disney is creating Disney+ and ESPN+ along with their 60% ownership of Hulu to distribute their content. AT&T is going to have multiple streaming services for paytv and Warner content through DirecTV Now and HBO Now/Go as well as the other ones they plan to launch.


Comcast will have over 50 million video subscribers between their Comcast Cable service in the US and Sky in Europe; those users are the ones at risk of cord cutting/shaving and going to other OTT services, so a Comcast-Sky OTT/streaming play was going to have to happen at some point to at least partially secure future distribution of NBC/Sky content, but the biggest question is what kind of user base they can build:

"NBC is banking on quickly scaling to 30 million or 40 million users with its service, as opposed to slowly scaling a paid service and starting at zero subscribers." - They absolutely need to see significant user numbers like that for this to work. If this is just an added service with few users, that would be a significant blow to their future strategies and NBC/Sky.


Time will tell because we're rapidly reaching a point of "OTT overload" where there's going to be way too many offerings and consumers will be confused by what content is in which packages. That kind of scenario only works well for Netflix and Amazon which have gotten out way ahead of everybody else. Disney is probably the only well-placed content creator in a world like that because of how strong their sub-brands are.

 

[belloq87]

-Full Universal film catalog

Now that's an incredible selling point if they can manage it.

Disney should be doing the same thing with their library (and Fox's, really), but something tells me they won't.

 

[Viator]

Well, we have details on the Comcast/NBC streaming service, and it's...interesting to say the least

NBC to launch free streaming service in 2020

-Free to Comcast customers
-Possibly free to other TV provider customers, depending on agreements Comcast can make
-Original Content
-Full NBC content
-Full Universal film catalog
-Launching 2020

Interesting to see the price seeming to possibly be around the 12 dollar mark.

If they can get away with this, and being able to get modern films into it; this could be a huge get for any Universal fan. Let alone, for those wanting a lot of potential Vintage Universal films that have been hard to get hold of.

At-least now, we have our racers: Netflix, Hulu, Disney +, WarnerMedia/VRV/DC Universe, and Comcast/NBCUniversal.

 

[Scott W.]

It seems like we're heading towards cable 2.0

 

[quinnmac000]

Biggest thing is they plan to keep their stake in Hulu too

 

[Freak]

All of these streaming services keeping their content exclusively on their platform are becoming frustrating. With all of these separate streaming services emerging, it eliminates the whole point of Hulu and Netflix in the first place. Instead of paying $10 a month for a bunch of content I would actually watch, I now have to pay $50 or even $60 a month just to watch shows/movies on twenty different streaming services I can't watch anywhere else? Pretty confident this is going to blow up in Comcast's and Disney's and WB's face in the near future as I don't know anybody that would pay up to $50 a month just for streaming services.

I realize that they're not going to keep all of their content from Netflix and Hulu, but it's obvious they're working toward that. Even worse, I wouldn't put it past Comcast or any of the other big two (Disney and WB) to only allow movies to be shown on their own streaming services and not on TV or even be sold on physical copy. I really hate how modern media is trying to phase out physical media. Ugh.

 

[Scott W.]

All of these streaming services keeping their content exclusively on their platform are becoming frustrating. With all of these separate streaming services emerging, it eliminates the whole point of Hulu and Netflix in the first place. Instead of paying $10 a month for a bunch of content I would actually watch, I now have to pay $50 or even $60 a month just to watch shows/movies on twenty different streaming services I can't watch anywhere else? Pretty confident this is going to blow up in Comcast's and Disney's and WB's face in the near future as I don't know anybody that would pay up to $50 a month just for streaming services.

I realize that they're not going to keep all of their content from Netflix and Hulu, but it's obvious they're working toward that. Even worse, I wouldn't put it past Comcast or any of the other big two (Disney and WB) to only allow movies to be shown on their own streaming services and not on TV or even be sold on physical copy. I really hate how modern media is trying to phase out physical media. Ugh.

The big difference between this and cable is that hopefully they'll all be on a rolling contract. Have a month or Disney, once you've had your fill, cancel it.

 

[Tyc00n96]

Well, we have details on the Comcast/NBC streaming service, and it's...interesting to say the least

NBC to launch free streaming service in 2020

-Free to Comcast customers
-Possibly free to other TV provider customers, depending on agreements Comcast can make
-Original Content
-Full NBC content
-Full Universal film catalog
-Launching 2020

Universal IP based tv series????

 

[RevFreako]

All of these streaming services keeping their content exclusively on their platform are becoming frustrating. With all of these separate streaming services emerging, it eliminates the whole point of Hulu and Netflix in the first place. Instead of paying $10 a month for a bunch of content I would actually watch, I now have to pay $50 or even $60 a month just to watch shows/movies on twenty different streaming services I can't watch anywhere else? Pretty confident this is going to blow up in Comcast's and Disney's and WB's face in the near future as I don't know anybody that would pay up to $50 a month just for streaming services.

I realize that they're not going to keep all of their content from Netflix and Hulu, but it's obvious they're working toward that. Even worse, I wouldn't put it past Comcast or any of the other big two (Disney and WB) to only allow movies to be shown on their own streaming services and not on TV or even be sold on physical copy. I really hate how modern media is trying to phase out physical media. Ugh.

Couple of differences: one, I still pay far less than I would to get the things that I want than I would with cable, and two, when there's nothing I want on a given service, it is far less hassle to turn say HBO Now off for a month or two than to get some nitwit over the phone to change my cable package. Modern media is doing just fine.

 

[Freak]

Couple of differences: one, I still pay far less than I would to get the things that I want than I would with cable, and two, when there's nothing I want on a given service, it is far less hassle to turn say HBO Now off for a month or two than to get some nitwit over the phone to change my cable package. Modern media is doing just fine.

That is true, but once you are so used to just Hulu and Netflix, you’re used to paying like $20 a month max for those services (Don’t know how much Hulu is as I only use Netflix). I would hate to shell out more $$$ for content I want at different places.

 

[RevFreako]

That is true, but once you are so used to just Hulu and Netflix, you’re used to paying like $20 a month max for those services (Don’t know how much Hulu is as I only use Netflix). I would hate to shell out more $$$ for content I want at different places.

That "used to" is a gremlin that will get you every time. If all you need is Netflix and Hulu, then twenty bucks a month is all you need to spend. No one is forcing you to pay for a bunch of stuff you don't need just to get what you want --that is what cable does.

 

[RevFreako]

That "used to" is a gremlin that will get you every time. If all you need is Netflix and Hulu, then twenty bucks a month is all you need to spend. No one is forcing you to pay for a bunch of stuff you don't need just to get what you want --that is what cable does.

Some punk in funny pajamas had a saying about power and responsibility. If you want the power of more of the stuff you want cheaper, then doing the extra bit of legwork to get there is the responsibility that comes with it. And hell, if there's just one show on a service that you want to see, it's probably cheaper to buy a season pass to that show -- an even better deal.

Sorry for the multiple posts, mods.

 

[Viator]

Universal IP based tv series????

Think, to how TWDC is heavily investing into their streaming service; Disney +, with exclusive original content for the program (and DC Universe to an extent).

I would not be shocked, if Illumination is working on something Minions-based for the service as of this moment.

 

[Nick]

Interesting to see the price seeming to possibly be around the 12 dollar mark.

Interestingly, Iger has said Disney+ will be starting around the $6-7 range so that is aggressive for Comcast, especially for a new service.

 

[Viator]

Interestingly, Iger has said Disney+ will be starting around the $6-7 range so that is aggressive for Comcast, especially for a new service.

And while I do agree..Universal's lineup of films, may be a big push to why that 12 buck mark is needed, considering the quantity & quality of a LOT of those films being substantial.

 

[RevFreako]

And while I do agree..Universal's lineup of films, may be a big push to why that 12 buck mark is needed, considering the quantity & quality of a LOT of those films being substantial.

I think though that head to head, Disney's whole catalog smokes Universal's whole catalog, unless you're a monster kid. There's no way Universal should cost more than Disney on this one, unless you're getting first run stuff

 

[natespf]

Soon enough 'cutting the cord' will cost more than cable.

I guess with cable you can get 1 channel you like with the base package, step up to the deluxe package to get a whole 2 channels you like, go all out with the super premium package and you get a whopping 3 channels you like. Obviously with each step up you'd get more and more bonus channels you'll never watch.

Ideally it would be more al a carte, maybe get NetFlix for the basics and add on some niche services... but with it being broken up by company it is becoming more like cable. A show you like may only be available with some $12/mo plan and that's the only show on the plan you want. If the same were true for a handful of shows you're right back to paying for a lot you don't want just to get a few you do. (though it's a good point you can rotate services...)

These are many of the same companies that helped drive up the cable bill with the structure of their contracts, along with the actual cable companies keeping their share driving up the price of internet. With it becoming so spread out I hope there is some pushback (while still being profitable) that forces them to have logically tiered packages with crossover between the companies.

And some people want to desocialize the roads not realizing it could cost $400/month to drive to work because the roads are owned by 12 different companies that only sell unlimited plans (wrong thread? wrong thread?)

 

[Clive]

It seems like we're heading towards cable 2.0

This was always the inevitable result.

To those questioning why one would have Hulu or Netflix in this new reality... well, exactly. That's why those services have so aggressively (and egregiously) invested in original content.

 

[Nick]

This was always the inevitable result.

To those questioning why one would have Hulu or Netflix in this new reality... well, exactly. That's why those services have so aggressively (and egregiously) invested in original content.

Yup, Netflix has been preparing for studios like Disney and Universal to leave (they were able to secure Paramount) by spending ridiculous amounts of money on new, original content. Disney can take all the Marvel, Pixar, WDAS, LucasFilm, FOX and Disney live action movies with them when Disney+ launches (and Netflix will no doubt feel the loss of such a library of content on some level), but they've built their own library so deep now that in the end it's really not going to matter.

Netflix has essentially taken Fox's place in the 'Big 6'. Netflix might have started as a streaming service, but they should be treated more as a distributor at this point in time because that's the majority of what they do now.