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Fandango is buying Vudu's video service from Walmart
Walmart expects the deal to close in the coming months.
Universal is releasing movies in theaters and at home on the same day
Movie studios have spent years considering releasing their films for home viewing at the same time they're in theaters, but have usually withdrawn those plans based on complaints by the theater chains. Now, with people staying home and theaters closing due to the coronavirus pandemic, Universal Pictures will be the first to try the scheme by offering movies that are currently in theaters for home rental at a price of $19.99 for a 48-hour viewing window. The first movies offered will start popping up on Friday, with The Hunt, Invisible Man and Emma available internationally via "a wide variety of the most popular on-demand services." It appears the Vudu is on the list, and we'd assume that other big names like iTunes and Amazon Video will also participates. The first movie to premiere under the new setup will be Trolls World Tour on April 20th.
WSJ: Comcast's NBCUniversal is in advanced talks to acquire Vudu
Comcast-owned media company NBCUniversal is in "advanced talks" to acquire Vudu from Walmart, according to The Wall Street Journal. We're just a couple of months away from the launch of NBCUniversal's new streaming platform called Peacock, so the company's interest in another streaming service may seem curious. However, the company may simply be using the same tactic employed by many other media firms in an effort to better compete with big players like Netflix: one that entails tacking ad-supported platforms onto their business.
NBC's Peacock lineup includes Mindy Kaling, Norman Lear and 'MacGruber'
NBCUniversal is only revealing core details of its Peacock streaming service today, but that isn't stopping it from thinking about the project's long-term future. It just outlined a string of shows that will come sometime after the April launch, many of them from very familiar names. Mindy Kaling is executive co-producing Expecting, a story of a woman who enlists a gay friend to be a sperm donor and suddenly finds herself crafting a biological family. And fans of MacGruber can rejoice. Will Forte is producing and starring in a revival series that has the titular hero confronting his old villain Enos Queeth... or at least, he thinks so.
NBC may revive 'Quantum Leap' for its Peacock streaming service
NBC's Peacock is already set to rely heavily on nostalgia with planned Punky Brewster and Saved By the Bell shows, but it might not stop there. Program strategy head Jeff Bader told SlashFilm that the broadcaster is considering a revival of Quantum Leap, the series that saw scientist Dr. Sam Beckett travel through time to right historical wrongs. While Bader didn't say how likely the show was, he noted that "everyone is discussing" it.
NBC's Peacock streaming service might include live video
NBC might rely on more than a mix of free and paid tiers to reel you into watching its Peacock service. CNBC sources say the plan is to launch the app or website by immediately playing video, including live material -- you might see NBC News Now before you've even thought about choosing a show. Just what you'll watch may depend on how much you're willing to pay, mind you.
NBC's Peacock streaming service may charge $10 for ad-free viewing
NBCUniversal's Peacock service might be free for some viewers, but the network also appears willing to charge money for the ad-averse. The Information tipsters claim that NBC is mulling a $10 ad-free tier as well as a $5 plan with limited ads. That would provide more flexibility and lower prices than Hulu, which has no free tier and starts at $6 per month for limited ads. Of course, Hulu isn't just limited to one broadcaster's content -- you're paying more to get more.
NBC's Peacock streaming service may be free for everyone
With the streaming wars heating up -- Apple TV+ debuted today and HBO Max launch details were announced this week -- there are still some services that have a few cards to play before they start to roll out. Among them is Peacock, NBCUniversal's offering, which might very well be free for everyone when it debuts in April.
How to get the most out of Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services
A Netflix or Hulu subscription alone won't cut it anymore. The streaming landscape is fracturing as bastions of old media rise up with their own services, offering a blend of originals and library material. Over the coming months, the streaming video options will multiply like Gremlins, as the likes of Disney, Apple, WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal and mobile platform Quibi hop into the game.
NBC's LX aims to provide local news for younger viewers
It's no secret that local TV news tends to attract much older audiences. NBCUniversal hopes to change that with a new digital news brand that aims to connect millennial and Gen Z age groups with stories from their community. Variety reported today that NBCU's local TV group will be launching LX, which will deliver original local news stories targeted at younger audiences. The new network will begin distributing news stories today on YouTube, LX.com and across social media channels.
NBCUniversal's streaming service will be called Peacock
NBCUniversal has revealed launch details for its upcoming, ad-supported streaming service. Named Peacock, it'll be the exclusive streaming home of The Office (which you can still watch on Netflix through 2020) and Parks and Recreation. It'll debut this April with more than 15,000 hours of shows and movies.
Major broadcasters sue nonprofit TV service over copyright infringement
CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox have joined forces in a fight against Locast, a nonprofit streaming service funded in part by AT&T Inc and Dish Network Corp. The service is marketed as a distribution alternative for people who can't get local TV signals through their antenna, but it's also earned a reputation as a free alternative for consumers who are tired of their cable bills. According to The Wall Street Journal, the four networks claim Locast is retransmitting their local TV signals without permission, therefore violating copyright law.
Twitter teams up with NBC for live 2020 Olympics coverage
NBC is slightly loosening its firm grasp on its Olympic Games broadcast rights. It's teaming up with Twitter to bring limited live coverage and highlights, along with a daily 20-minute Olympics show, to Twitter's website and apps during the Tokyo 2020 Games.
NBCUniversal plans to debut its streaming service in April
The streaming wars are intensifying, with the likes of HBO, CBS and Disney focusing on their own platforms and hanging onto their content instead of licensing it to Netflix and other services. We now know when another major player will enter the battlefield, as NBCUniversal has pegged next April as the launch window for its ad-supported streaming service.
NBC revives ‘A.P. Bio’ for its streaming service
Dropping A.P. Bio is never a good idea. NBC has approved the Lorne Michaels-produced comedy for a third season -- but will feature it exclusively on its upcoming streaming platform, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The network just last month elected to cancel the half-hour sitcom starring Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt, much to the despair of its fans and creators. The show, which tells the story of a hapless high school biology teacher and his class of high-achieving misfits, performed well on digital but drew only lukewarm ratings on broadcast TV.
Netflix loses 'The Office' after 2020 to NBCUniversal's service
Wondering what the most watched show on subscription streaming is? According to NBC it's The Office, and as such, it's no surprise that once the company's agreement with Netflix expires at the end of 2020, it's keeping the show for its own streaming service. The ad-supported NBCUniversal package is launching in 2020, but it won't have the show's nine seasons until 2021. It's following a trend we've seen from AT&T and Disney, as they try to capitalize on back catalogs to launch new streaming competitors. Of course, for viewers it means they won't be able to see popular shows all in one place, and it's unclear how this will impact international distribution. In response, Netflix tweeted that at least members can binge watch "ad-free" until January 2021.
Disney takes full control of Hulu in deal with Comcast
When AT&T sold its shares of Hulu last month, Disney and Comcast were left as the company's sole owners. Today, Comcast relinquished its control, leaving Disney in charge of the streaming platform. This means, since its acquisition of Fox's 30 percent stake in 2017, Disney has slowly chipped away at its fellow Hulu owners.
Get ready for targeted ads on your smart TV
By now, we're all used to targeted ads on social media. And whether you're comfortable with having your interests shared with advertisers or not, it looks like "addressable advertising" is coming to your smart TV too, sooner rather than later. Several top media companies -- including Disney, Comcast, NBCUniversal, CBS and Discovery -- announced they're teaming up with smart TV company Vizio to develop a new standard that might make commercials feel eerily personal.
NBCUniversal to launch ad-supported TV streaming service in 2020
NBCUniversal isn't going to twiddle its thumbs while competitors like CBS dive deeper into streaming video. The broadcaster has unveiled plans for an ad-supported streaming service that will launch sometime in early 2020. It'll be 'free' if you watch TV through a paid provider with NBCU access (Comcast and Sky included), but you'll have the option of subscribing if you're either a cord cutter or just want to eliminate ads.
NBCUniversal is using machine learning to make ads more relevant
Advertisers have been targeting their messages to relevant media for as long as advertising has existed. Kids' TV channels are awash with toy commercials, breaks during wedding shows are full of ads for honeymoon destinations and so on. But now, NBCUniversal has adopted a new machine learning tool that makes the placement of ads on TV more exact, relevant and timely.
