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The Golden Globes will stream live for the first time
You'll have an extra way to watch Netflix handle its nine Golden Globe nominations this year. For the first time ever, the television awards show will be streamed live on NBC's website, its app and other services like DirecTV Now, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, Sony PlayStation Vue and YouTube TV. This is in addition to Facebook's streaming of the red carpet activities before the ceremony.
NBC will stream 'Sunday Night Football' to your phone in 2018
The end to Verizon's NFL streaming exclusive is already paying dividends. NBCUniversal has cut a deal with the NFL that gives it the rights to stream Sunday Night Footbal through TV Everywhere on smartphones, not just bigger-screened devices like PCs, tablets and TVs. The deal takes effect starting with the 2018 season, so you might not get to watch the Super Bowl on your handset in February. So long as you have TV service, though, you'll at least get to tune into regular season games throughout 2018.
NBC is adapting UK tech support sitcom 'The IT Crowd'
NBC had a hit adapting the BBC version of The Office and now it's hoping for the same with UK hit The IT Crowd. The network is set to adapt the Channel 4 sitcom with the original creator, Graham Lineham, who will write and produce, Variety reports. Like the British series, it will revolve around tech workers in the IT department of a giant corporation, but will be a "re-imagining" of the original, not a clone. "Oh, yeah. Working on it. Don't expect the same kind of show and EVERYONE WILL BE HAPPY," Lineham confirmed on Twitter.
Nobody knows if Snapchat shows are actually successful
Snapchat hasn't been coy about its obsession with making original video content. Snap Inc., its parent company, sees TV-like programming as the holy grail and key to its long-term success. The quick, raw, disappearing videos that made Snapchat popular with teens are no longer enough to keep users locked in. Especially as Instagram has started stealing its most popular features, like Stories. Snapchat won't admit it, but Facebook may have inadvertently driven its push into original programming. Conquering that world won't be easy, and right now there are more questions than answers about whether Snapchat shows are working and how viable they are.
Hulu dives into eSports with four ESL-made shows
A handful of TV networks have started to incorporate more eSports content into their lineups and now eSports have made their way to streaming video on demand as Hulu and ESL have teamed up to create four new eSports series. "eSports appeals to a younger, more digitally savvy audience so Hulu is a perfect platform to build out our original content and expose the world of eSports to new audiences," ESL Senior VP of Global Media Rights and Distribution Nik Adams said in a statement.
Amazon brings voice control to Hulu and other video apps on Fire TV
You can already use Alexa voice commands to steer some video playback on a Fire TV, but Amazon is about to throw the doors wide open. It just unveiled a slew of partners that will use the Video Skills Kit to add Alexa support to their video apps, and these are definitely companies you'll recognize: Hulu, PlayStation Vue, CBS All Access, Bravo, Showtime and multiple NBC apps will all take spoken playback commands. You might not have to lift a finger to skip backwards in The Handmaid's Tale or switch live channels in Vue.
NBC CEO claims Facebook has 'no respect' for pro content
NBC CEO Steve Burke talked to The Information about the current state of the media industry and seemed very unimpressed by Facebook's video efforts. While the social network just launched the Watch section it's trying to flood with video Burke finds it lacking. At least, lacking in comparison to the social network NBCUniversal has $500 million invested in, Snapchat. The "unsustainable" Facebook "doesn't allow us to put ads in and sell them," while Snapchat does. We guess that means NBCUniversal won't pull in a large portion of the $1 billion Facebook reportedly plans to spend on original content next year, but there's always a chance today's competitors can become tomorrow's partners. Oh, and if you're wondering whether or not the Comcast-enmeshed NBC could pull a Disney and sell its content via streaming it seems unlikely -- he's more interested in the possibility of $50 internet packages with add-on a la carte channels.
NBC will shut down its Seeso comedy streaming service this year
NBC's experiment in a comedy streaming service, Seeso, wasn't long for this world -- the outfit is shutting down later this year. There's no explanation as to why, but it notes that its original series There's... Johnny! won't premiere later in August as a result. Thankfully, this and other shows will live on. Some of them already have new homes, NBC says. It doesn't take too much work to divine why Seeso called it quits mere months after its January debut. As a niche streaming service, it just didn't capture attention in the same way as all-encompassing alternatives like Amazon, Hulu or Netflix. There were layoffs in June, and the relatively thin selection of originals didn't help matters, either. This doesn't mean that specialty streaming can't work, but it faces an uphill battle when you can spend just a few dollars more per month to access a much larger video catalog.
The traditional sports world is taking eSports into the mainstream
Five years ago, you couldn't have imagined video game competitions being broadcasted on the same channel as traditional sports. TV networks have been historically obsessed with pastimes such as baseball, basketball, football and soccer, but times are changing. Thanks to the massive popularity of eSports, driven in large part by the internet-streaming generation, the entertainment landscape has transformed drastically over the past couple of years. Nowadays, US channels like Disney XD, ESPN, NBC and TBS are all trying to put eSports on the same level as traditional sports, with the end goal being to reach new, younger audiences. Want to watch a EA's FIFA or Rocket League tournament on ESPN? Well, you can do just that.
NBC's twice-daily Snapchat news show is live
If you're reading this, there's a real chance that you don't turn on the TV (if you even have one) when you're looking for news -- you're more likely to check the web or a favorite mobile app. And NBC News knows it. The network is launching a twice-daily Snapchat news show, Stay Tuned, to keep the smartphone crowd up to speed. Each 3-minute clip is effectively a condensed, slightly more "youthful" take on a conventional broadcast. The show isn't talking down to viewers, NBC says, but you will see Snapchat-like captions for recorded quotes and other attempts to match the style you expect on the service.
AT&T's DirecTV Now expands its local channel lineup
As pay TV subscriber growth declines, regional content affiliates are looking for more ways to bring in customers (and their money) via digital platforms like Sling TV, Hulu, PlayStation Vue, and DirecTV Now. One way to stem the tide of vanishing local cord-cutters is to offer more local programming, which could entice customers to bundled internet TV packages. AT&T's Direct TV now service just announced that it has more than doubled its own live local channel line up, adding local NBC, ABC and FOX affiliates around the US. The company claims that the expansion gives DirecTV Now local coverage for almost 70 percent of US households.
NBC Sports’ new Premier League plan is terrible for everyone
When NBC Sports announced its new $50 Premier League Pass yesterday, it was easy for soccer fans in the US to get excited about the ability to watch without a cable subscription. However, upon close inspection, the new broadcast structure for England's top league may be worse than limiting a full slate of games to those who have a plan with Comcast, Time Warner or other providers. Allow me to explain.
You won't need cable to watch the Premier League next season
Good news for football fans in the US who love the English Premier League: NBC Sports has announced a standalone streaming package that will include 130 games, both live and on-demand, from the upcoming 2017-2018 campaign. The Premier League Pass, which is set to cost $50 per season starting in August, is definitely going to appeal to cord-cutters all over the country -- especially since they'll be able to watch on their desktop, smartphone, tablet and TV with a compatible set-top box. Bye bye, illegal streams.
You only have to log into NBC's app once across Apple devices
It's much easier to fire up This is US and SNL on iPhones and iPads now that NBC's iOS app finally works with Apple's single sign-on (SSO). You simply have to activate the feature on your device by going to Settings > TV Provider and typing in your cable TV credentials to log into all the apps you have that support it. This update will sound even better if you have an Apple TV, since the network's tvOS application worked with SSO from the start.
NBC is the next big TV network to jump into eSports
Seemingly every big TV network wants in on eSports. NBC Sports has revealed that it's launching an international two-on-two Rocket League tournament this summer. It'll start online July 22nd with regional qualifiers using Faceit's eSports platform, but players will eventually face each other in person through studio competitions and the grand finals on August 26th and 27th. Naturally, there will be plenty of video coverage: NBC is promising over 40 hours across both online sources and TV, including live coverage of the finals on NBCSN (in the US) and Syfy (in the UK and other countries).
Musical.ly debuts original mini-shows from NBC and MTV
Musical.ly debuts its first original shows today -- the first of a few it will be rolling out over the coming weeks. The company has signed original content deals with entertainment groups Viacom, NBCUniversal and Hearst Magazines.
Amazon Echo gets its own 'Saturday Night Live' skit
How do you know when a gadget has become part of the American cultural zeitgeist? When it gets its own Saturday Night Live routine, apparently. The comedy show ran a skit (US-only) on May 13th pitching the "Amazon Echo Silver," an imaginary smart speaker aimed at the "greatest generation." Not surprisingly, that means lots of stereotypical jokes about seniors: the Silver is extremely loud, repeats itself and will answer back if you say any name that sounds even vaguely like Alexa. Naturally, you can only order it with a check or money order.
Hulu adds NBC networks to its upcoming live TV service
When Hulu debuted its plans to stream live TV in addition to its day-after offerings there was a big peacock-shaped gap. That's changed. Today the streaming company announced that it'll have programming from NBC-and-Telemundo owned networks available when the live-streaming service launches.
'Orange is the New Black' hackers may have stolen 36 other shows
When the hackers who swiped Netflix's unreleased Orange is the New Black season warned that they had shows from other TV networks, they might not have been kidding around. TheDarkOverlord has reportedly provided DataBreaches.net with a "preview" of the shows it obtained from Larson Studios, and it looks like there could be 36 more titles in the mix -- many of which you've likely heard about. The mix includes recent and yet-to-air episodes of Fox's New Girl, FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, IFC's Portlandia and CBS' NCIS: Los Angeles, among others. There are also singular titles like the Vin Diesel movie XXX: Return of Xander Cage as well as Netflix's Bill Nye Saves the World and a YouTube Red original.
Comcast hopes to launch an NBC-focused streaming TV service
Comcast is apparently more than a little envious of internet-only streaming services like CBS All Access and HBO Now. Bloomberg contacts claim that the cable giant is planning to introduce an online video service that would revolve around shows from NBCUniversal networks, including Bravo, SyFy and USA. Most of the details are still up in the air, including whether or not there would be a live feed, but the aim would be to launch sometime within the next 12 to 18 months (sometime in mid-to-late 2018).
