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Universal's plans for more 'premium VOD' push AMC to drop its movies
'Trolls World Tour' skipped a theatrical release earlier this month, and now NBCUniversal is planning to use the premium VOD strategy for future movies -- even after theaters are open again. AMC isn't happy about that.
NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service: Everything you need to know
Yes, another streaming service.
NBC's Peacock streaming service costs $10 for ad-free Premium access
Like HBO Max and Disney+, Comcast/NBC starts revealing details of its new streaming service with a presentation to investors. Now we know when Peacock will launch, and how much it will cost in addition to info about all of its content. Like so many of the others, Comcast is launching this streaming service to boost its other businesses, so the first people with access are Comcast X1 and Flex customers, who can try it out starting April 15th. Comcast and Cox cable subscribers also get free access to one of the premium tiers of the video service. Peacock has a free version, that is ad-supported with "next-day" access to some of its originals, new series from the broadcast NBC and other content. Peacock Premium also has ads -- execs say they're limited to five minutes per hour of programming -- plus full seasons of the service's originals, next-day access to current seasons of returning broadcast shows, "early" access to Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers' late-night shows at 8PM each night, Premier League soccer, Olympic streams and more. Premium access costs $5 if you're not a cable subscriber with Comcast or Cox, while removing ads entirely costs $5 extra. Peacock Free: This free, ad-supported option will provide fans everywhere with more than 7,500 hours of programming. Peacock Free includes next day access to current seasons of freshman broadcast series, complete classic series, popular movies, curated daily news and sports programming including the Olympics, Spanish-language content, select episodes of marquee Peacock originals and tent-pole series, as well as curated Peacock streaming genre channels such as "SNL Vault," "Family Movie Night" and "Olympic Profiles." Peacock Premium: Bundled at no additional cost to 24 million Comcast and Cox subscribers, this ad-supported option will additionally include full season Peacock originals and tent-pole series, next day access to current seasons of returning broadcast series, early access to late night talk shows, and additional sports – such as the Premier League - totaling more than 15,000 hours of content. Also available for $4.99 per month on all popular connected mobile and web devices for non-bundled customers. The company expects to bundle Peacock Premium with additional partners in the coming months. Premium customers can upgrade to an ad-free experience for an additional $5.00 per month, or any customer can purchase the ad-free experience directly for $9.99 per month.
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.
WSJ: Comcast might buy the free streaming app Xumo TV
If you're keeping track of the internet TV landscape there may be change incoming, as the Wall Street Journal reports Comcast -- which is preparing to launch the NBCU-powered Peacock streaming service -- is in advanced talks to buy Xumo TV. While Xumo isn't as familiar of a name, its app is readily available on mobile devices and many smart TV platforms, with the draw of offering free, ad-supported video streaming. Mostly, it pulls together streams from other providers like ABC News, the Today Show or Wired in its front end so cord-cutters can have their usual TV experience, albeit without paying a dime, and the company also licenses its tech on apps or integrations for companies like LG, Vizio, Sharp and Hisense. While Peacock may have ad-supported or discounted elements and could be free for current pay-TV subscribers, it's not quite clear what it would have in common with Xumo. The WSJ suggests Xumo could provide technical and business support. Of course, the deal isn't done, but with Peacock set to launch in April, then Comcast may want to get things cleared up well before it launches a new streaming home for The Office and Parks and Recreation.
Streaming won't get easier or cheaper
After years of declining cable subscriptions, the bundle is back. Smaller bundles at slightly lower prices, sure, but still bundles. While Netflix had some competition from Amazon and Hulu when it came to one-price-fits-all streaming in the past, the last quarter of this year has been a whirlwind of launches with just Disney+ and Apple TV+ alone.
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.
Why are there so many TV streaming services?
The days of television streaming with limited choices are long gone. The list of options grows longer almost daily, and some big names have plans to launch new services that will further silo the content you want to watch. Exclusives are the new streaming currency, and to get everything you desire, you have to hand over a lot more money than you probably want to.
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.
HBO Max will be the only place to stream ‘Big Bang Theory’
HBO Max is snatching up content ahead of its launch in the spring of 2020. After announcing that Friends -- one of Netflix's most-streamed shows -- would become an HBO Max exclusive, the Warner-owned service announced that it would be home to The Big Bang Theory as well. This is the first streaming contract for the show, and it'll last for five years.
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.
Kinect hack turns your 360 into a 3D walk-in closet
The world wasn't ready for you to wear a knee-length peacock-feather skirt last season, but the folks at Polish creative collective Arbuzz are paving the way for your fashionista debut with a new hack for Kinect. Virtual Dressing Room takes trying on clothes to the next level, using 3D imaging to fit a selection of clothes to your body, even as you skip across your living room like the little girl you are. According to the folks at Arbuzz, Virtual Dressing Room is still a work in progress, most likely because it is impossible to put a deadline on fashion.
Proverbial Wallets make your metaphysical money a little more tangible
Counting dollars and cents on the checkout counter really makes you feel the weight of every expenditure. Swiping a credit card or waving an NFC device over a sensor? Not so much. Enter the Proverbial Wallets from the Information Ecology group at the MIT Media Lab, three separate devices that use three haptic techniques to curtail your spending. First is the Bumblebee, which buzzes and vibrates whenever money comes into or goes out from your account. Next is Mother Bear, which becomes harder to open as you get closer to your spending goal. Finally is Peacock, which swells proudly as your bank balance does the same. Sadly none of these are actually available yet, but we have a feeling if they were they might put a bit of a hurting on our very real and very strict budgets.
