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Tag: NBCUniversal

  • Netflix Confirms Ad-Supported Plans Are On the Way

    Netflix Confirms Ad-Supported Plans Are On the Way

    Netflix has confirmed rumors that it is working on ad-supported plans as the company looks to grow its subscriber base.

    Netflix turned in its first subscriber loss in roughly a decade at its last quarterly results, sending the stock down and leading to hundreds of lay-offs. The company is experimenting with various ways to turn the situation around, with free, ad-supported plans being one of them. According to The Hollywood Reporter, co-CEO Ted Sarandos has confirmed the plans.

    “We’ve left a big customer segment off the table, which is people who say: ‘Hey, Netflix is too expensive for me and I don’t mind advertising,’” Sarandos said at Cannes Lions. “We adding an ad tier; we’re not adding ads to Netflix as you know it today. We’re adding an ad tier for folks who say, ‘Hey, I want a lower price and I’ll watch ads.’”

    Given this would be Netflix’s first foray into ad-supported media, there’s infrastructure and development that needs to be done to make it work. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company is looking to either Google or NBCUniversal to help it roll out its ad platform.

  • YouTube TV Reaches Deal to Keep All NBCUniversal Channels

    YouTube TV Reaches Deal to Keep All NBCUniversal Channels

    YouTube TV and NBCUniversal have reached a deal for YouTube TV to continue carrying NBCUniversal’s (NBCU) channels.

    YouTube TV warned last week that it was on the verge of losing NBCU’s portfolio of channels over a contract dispute, with the deadline set for September 30. In the eleventh hour, the two companies announced an extension, keeping the channels on YouTube TV while negotiations continued.

    It appears the two companies have reached a long-term agreement, ensuring YouTube TV customers won’t lose access to NBCU’s content. The YouTube team made the announcement in a blog post:

    We’re thrilled to share that we’ve reached a deal to continue carrying the full NBCUniversal portfolio of channels. That means you won’t lose access to any of their channels, and YouTube TV will continue to offer 85+ networks for $64.99. We appreciate NBCUniversal’s willingness to work toward an agreement, and we also appreciate your patience as we negotiated with them on your behalf.

  • ViacomCBS May Launch New Streaming Service

    ViacomCBS May Launch New Streaming Service

    CNBC is reporting that ViacomCBS may be preparing to release a new streaming service.

    According to the report, the new streaming service will build on CBS All Access, combining it “with Viacom assets including Pluto TV, Nickelodeon, BET, MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount Pictures, said the people, who asked not to be named because the product discussions are private.”

    Initial discussions seem to indicate three tiers: an ad-supported free service, a base plan that costs less than $10/month and a premium service that would include Showtime.

    As CNBC points out, while CBS All Access predates Apple TV+ and Disney+, not to mention the upcoming HBO Max and NBCUniversal’s Peacock, after the merger with Viacom, there is far more content that could be made available. The new service will likely be far more well-rounded and able to better compete directly with the other streaming services.

    Even so, with a new streaming service seemingly popping up every few weeks, experts are already warning that viewers are experiencing “subscription fatigue.” Hopefully the new service truly builds upon—and replaces—CBS All Access rather than being offered side-by-side.

  • NBCUniversal Launching Peacock Streaming Service July 15

    NBCUniversal Launching Peacock Streaming Service July 15

    NBCUniversal has unveiled Peacock, a multi-tiered, free premium streaming service, according to parent company Comcast.

    NBCUniversal has been working on its streaming service for some time, but this is the first time there has been significant details. The service will be available in three tiers: a free tier and two premium ones.

    Peacock Free will offer “next day access to current seasons of freshman broadcast series, complete classic series, popular movies, curated daily news and sports programming,” according to the press release. The free tier will have 7,500 hours of content and be ad-supported.

    Peacock Premium will be a free upgrade to existing Comcast and Cox subscribers, or $4.99 for non-subscribers. The press release says that “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.”

    For $5 extra, customers can upgrade their Premium subscription to the ad-free version, for a total of $5 for Comcast and Cox subscribers and $9.99 for non-subscribers.

    “Peacock will provide consumers with a destination that goes beyond movies and television, aggregating a variety of content that fans want on one service,” said Matt Strauss, Chairman of Peacock and NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises. “By delivering timely and topical content like breaking news, live sports, and watercooler moments from late night, Peacock is uniquely bringing a pulse to the world of streaming that does not exist in today’s marketplace.”

    The streaming market is become increasingly cluttered, with Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+, Netflix, CBS Prime and more. If NBCUniversal can deliver on the goal of providing a variety of content on a single service, they may be able to poach a significant number of users from existing services.

  • Cheryl Burke, Thomas Roberts Step Down as ‘Miss USA Pageant’ Co-Hosts After Donald Trump Statements

    Cheryl Burke and Thomas Roberts have stepped down as co-hosts of the Miss USA Pageant after the recent derogatory statements made by the pageant’s corporate co-owner, Donald Trump.

    The former Dancing With the Stars pro took to social media to announce that the pageant would go on, but without her. Thomas Roberts later withdrew from the pageant as well.

    “In light of recent statements made by Donald Trump and the subsequent decision by NBC to cut ties with Mr. Trump, I cannot in good conscience move forward with participating in this year’s Miss USA Pageant as its co-host,” Cheryl Burke wrote in a statement on Facebook on Tuesday.

    “Effective today I have withdrawn from my duties with Miss USA,” she continued. “Although I will not be there in person, I wish all of the contestants much luck as I know how hard they’ve all been working over the last year to try and realize their dreams.”

    MISS USAIn light of the recent statements made by Donald Trump and the subsequent decision by NBC to cut ties with Mr….

    Posted by Cheryl Burke on Tuesday, June 30, 2015

    Cheryl Burke stepping down as co-host is just the latest in a string of blows the dealt to the Miss USA Pageant. Univision dropped their broadcast of the pageant. Roselyn Sanchez and Cristian de la Fuente stepped down as co-hosts of the Spanish simulcast. NBCUniversal joined in on Monday when they announced they were ending their relationship with Donald Trump.

    “To that end, the annual Miss USA and Miss Universe Pageants, which are part of a joint venture between NBC and Trump, will no longer air on NBC,” the network said in a statement to Us Weekly, noting that “respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones” of its values. “In addition, as Mr. Trump has already indicated, he will not be participating in The Apprentice on NBC. Celebrity Apprentice is licensed from Mark Burnett’s United Artists Media Group and that relationship will continue.”

    Donald Trump ignited all of this backlash with statements he made about people crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.

    “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists,” he said at the time. “And some, I assume, are good people.”

    Cheryl Burke, Thomas Roberts, and others in their positions are no doubt saving their own reputations by separating themselves from anything related to Donald Trump.

    Are you pleased to see people and companies including NBCUniversal, Univision, and Cheryl Burke cutting their ties from Donald Trump in light of the insensitive comments he made?

    Might this spell the end of the Miss USA Pageant or will someone else pick up the pieces and salvage the show?

  • AT&T to Provide Networking Solutions For Winter Olympics

    AT&T today announced that it has signed a deal with NBCUniversal to provide network solutions for broadcasts of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. AT&T’s network will be utilized to stream coverage of the Olympics to the U.S. throughout February.

    One highlight of AT&T’s announcement is that the mobile provider will be helping NBC to stream high-definition coverage of the Olympics to a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and PCs. Fans will be able to access these streams during the games to keep up with each day’s action as it happens.

    “When people watch the Olympic Games, they increasingly do so from multiple screens – a smartphone, tablet, computer, and the traditional television screen,” said Robert Kiraly, director of Broadcast and Telecommunications Operations at NBC Olympics. “AT&T supports the networking services we need to ensure our viewers will have the best experience possible, no matter their screen preference.”

    AT&T did not state in its announcement whether Olympics coverage would be part of the carrier’s new Sponsored Data program. The new revenue plan, which was outlined last week, would see content providers paying AT&T for the bandwith its customers use. The plan has raised concerns from open internet advocates, who see it as an attempt by AT&T to charge more for data already flowing over its network while gaining a measure of control over how its subscribers use their expensive capped data plans.

  • Mariah Carey Taking Over NBC For The Holidays

    It looks like all NBCUniversal wants for Christmas is Mariah Carey.

    Starting on Wednesday, December 11 the singer will be taking over NBC for 12 days, which has accurately been dubbed “Mariah Carey’s 12 Days of Christmas.”

    On different days Carey will perform on all three hours of Today. She can also be seen on Access Hollywood, Extra, Al Sharpton’s PoliticsNation on MSNBC, Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Bravo, and will be featured on “Michael Buble’s 3rd Annual Christmas Special.”

    Carey will be on Watch What Happens Live on Bravo on Sunday, December 22 at 11:00 p.m. EST. Cohen has already shared the good news with his Twitter followers.

    A photo has already emerged of Carey and Buble on the stage for his Christmas special on NBC which will air on December 18 at 10 p.m. EST.

    Like so many celebrities, Carey took to her Twitter to promote her first NBC holiday takeover.

    While on Today, Carey invited Tamron Hall and viewers of the show into her Tribeca triplex in New York City she shares with husband Nick Cannon and their twins Moroccan and Monroe.

    While showing off her home, Carey shared the story of her Christmas classic, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”

    “There was an idea from the label; the record label (said), ‘Do a Christmas album,’” said Carey. She added that “All I Want For Christmas Is You” was the first song she wrote and that she “wanted to make the most festive song, that would always make people happy.”

    Carey already helped kick off the holiday season by performing on the Christmas in Rockefeller Center Treelighting special on NBC. She will round out 2013 by headlining NBC’s New Year’s Eve coverage.

    [Image via Carey’s official Instagram.]

  • Twitter Partners With NBCUniversal & Comcast On ‘See It’ Feature And Ads

    Comcast, NBC Universal and Twitter announced a strategic partnership on Wednesday for the creation of a feature called “See It,” which lets Xfinity TV customers access TV shows, movies and sports directly from tweets. It will debut in November on NBCUniversal networks.

    Comcast and Twitter are also in discussions for further integrations into Comcast’s X1 platform.

    With See It, Twitter users will see a button in their feeds when looking at social content about certain shows. From there, they will be able to access a menu, which will allow them to tune to live TV or start a show on demand on their set-top box, tune into a show online or on their mobile device, set DVRs, set reminders, and/or buy theater tickets through Fandango.

    See It

    To kick the whole thing off, NBC, NBC Sports Network, CNBC, MSNBC, USA, SyFy, Bravo, Oxygen, E!, Esquire Network and The Golf Channel will utilize the feature for the following programs: The Voice (NBC), The Blacklist (NBC), Chicago Fire (NBC), The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC), Sunday Night Football (NBC), Access Hollywood, NHL, Premier League Soccer, Sochi Olympics (NBC and NBCSN), Today Show (NBC), Psych (USA) and Suits (USA), etc.

    “Twitter is where television viewers come to talk about what they’re watching on TV when they’re watching it,” said Twitter CEO Dick Costolo. “Millions of users are exposed to the live conversation that unfolds on Twitter while a show is on the air and now, with See It, they’ll be able to tune in directly from a Tweet. It’s a great example of Comcast’s leadership in bringing TV to new platforms.”

    “See It is a simple yet powerful feature that creates an instant online remote control,” said Comcast CEO Brian Roberts. “Comcast is taking a leap forward in social TV by enabling Twitter users to more easily find and view the shows they want to watch and discover new shows. Twitter complements the live viewing experience and is an ideal partner for Comcast and NBCUniversal.”

    More networks will follow, as Twitter and Comcast are working on expanding to more distribution partners, TV networks and websites. Expect more in the coming months.

    Obviously there are tremendous advertising opportunities here, and with Twitter’s IPO on the way, investors will be keeping a close eye on how this goes.

    Twitter has a new advertising partnership with NBCUniversal, which will see the latter’s clients expand onto Twitter via its Amplify program. This means that NBCUniversal’s entire portfolio can be expanded to Twitter. Its clients get access to Twitter’s promoted platform.

    “NBCUniversal’s content is driving the most popular conversations in social media,” said NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke. “Now with this partnership, our advertisers will be able to reach even more of the specific audiences that they desire.”

    NBCUniversal President, Advertising Sales, Linda Yaccarino discusses the ad partnership further here.

    Some people believe Twitter can help save networks from the cord cutting trend. It will be interesting to see if the See It integration can keep users engaged enough.

    Image: Comcast

  • Hulu Won’t Be Sold, Its Current Owners Will Just Throw Cash At It Instead

    Hulu Won’t Be Sold, Its Current Owners Will Just Throw Cash At It Instead

    By all accounts, Hulu is a pretty decent service. It sucks that you have to watch ads even with a Hulu Plus subscription, but it’s oftentimes the only place to watch the latest TV shows whenever you want. It’s the kind of service that companies would want to own, but its current owners aren’t letting go just yet.

    Disney, 21st Century Fox and NBCUniversal announced today that they are taking Hulu off the market. The three had been previously searching for a buyer to take the service off of their hands, but they ultimately decided it was in their best interest to retain ownership. As part of this decision, the three owners have also agreed to pump $750 million into Hulu.

    “We believe the best path forward for Hulu is a meaningful recapitalization that will further accelerate its growth under the current ownership structure,” said Chase Carey, President and Chief Operating Officer of 21st Century Fox. “We had meaningful conversations with a number of potential partners and buyers, each with impressive plans and offers to match, but with 21st Century Fox and Disney fully aligned in our collective vision and goals for the business, we decided to continue to empower the Hulu team, in this fashion, to continue the incredible momentum they’ve built over the last few years.”

    We know Hulu’s owners are keeping it, but why did they suddenly decide to take it off the market? One potential reason could be that Hulu is doing pretty well for itself these days. The company’s latest quarterly report showed that it has over 4 million paying Hulu Plus subscribers on top of its millions of free users that watched over 1 billion videos in only three months. Those billion videos translates to a lot of ads and a lot of ad dollars.

    Hulu CEO Andy Forsell said just as much in the company’s quarterly report:

    “According to comScore, Hulu is #1 in engagement among top ad supported sites. Hulu viewers stay with us for 45 minutes per session—without fast-forwarding or skipping ads. Hulu is also #1 in market share of all premium online video providers, delivering 1 in 3 of all premium video ads in the U.S. Our reasonable ad load drives the highest recall and awareness for brands, which results in higher effectiveness for the video ads.”

    With this latest round of cash, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hulu investing in even more original content. It already has a number of original series from the BBC and SNL alums, and it also recently revived All My Children and One Life to Live.

    All of the above proves that there’s plenty of potential left in Hulu. It’s owners just have to let that potential flourish.

    [h/t: Engadget]

  • Amazon Prime Adds NBC Universal Shows: Hannibal, Grimm, Suits, and More

    Good news for Amazon Prime Instant Video customers today, as Amazon has just announced an expanded licensing agreement with NBCUniversal that will bring a handful of NBC, USA, and SyFy shows to the streaming video service.

    Starting today, subscribers will get access to prior seasons of NBC’s Grimm, Hannibal, and Smash, USA’s Suits and Covert Affairs, and SyFy’s Defiance, Alphas, Eureka, and Warehouse 13.

    “We listen carefully to our customers to find out which TV shows and movies they find the most entertaining,” said Brad Beale, Director of Digital Video Content Acquisition for Amazon. “Our expanded agreement with NBCUniversal gives Prime members access to even more exclusive content that they can stream instantly, at no additional cost. Compelling shows like Covert Affairs, Defiance, Grimm, Hannibal and Suits are big wins for our customers and we look forward to adding more titles soon.”

    The deal also bring a couple of kids shows to Kindle FreeTime Unlimited – Curious George and The Land Before Time.

    Earlier this year, Amazon Prime added Food Network and Travel Channel shows, as well as FX’s hit series Justified and PBS’ Downton Abbey (which they nabbed exclusive rights to, snatching it away from Netflix and Hulu). Last month, Amazon released a series of pilots produced by Amazon Studios. Viewer feedback will determine which of the 14 shows are given a full run.

  • NBC takes Initiative to Buy Microsoft out of MSNBC

    All the way back in 1996, a chance meeting between NBC News anchor, Tom Brokaw and Microsoft founder Bill Gates sparked the creation of a new way for viewers to get news. MSNBC.com was launched along with its cable television counterpart, the MSNBC network. The idea was for news coverage to be integrated between cable television and an online platform. Unfortunately, the vision has never been fully realized and the two mediums have always been programmed independently.

    According to the Wall Street Journal, discussions about how NBC can buy Microsoft out of the partnership are currently underway. NBCUniversal holds a 50% stake in the venture, and, as you may have guessed, Microsoft controls the remainder. Adweek reported that the deal would most likely push for MSNBC.com to secure a spot on MSN.com.

    By most accounts, MSNBC and MSNBC.Com have been functioning as totally separate entities for a long time now. The cable television component has gone more towards featuring the liberal side of things, while the online platform has, more or less, stuck to impartial news reporting.

    I think we can expect to see some numbers coming out of these negotiations soon enough. We’ll be watching for new developments to come out, and as soon as they do, you can read about them here.