NBCUniversal's challenger to Apple TV+ & Netflix is launching in April 2020
NBCUniversal's still-unnamed streaming service will launch in April, CEO Steve Burke said during an earnings call on Wednesday.
Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt in NBC's "A.P. Bio."
Over 500 people are working on the platform, which will rely on the same infrastructure underlying Sky's Now TV in Europe, Burke elaborated. Comcast/NBCUniversal owns Sky, and Now TV is available on iOS, Mac, and Apple TV, among other platforms.
"We believe we have a very innovative way of coming to the market that is very different than anything else and has very attractive financial aspects," said Burke.
NBCUniversal's timing will give Apple TV+ a few months' headstart, but the former may have some content advantages. It will for instance become the exclusive home of "The Office," which for years was one of the most-watched shows on NBC, then Netflix. It's also planning original content with a focus on existing properties, one example being a third season of "A.P. Bio," which stars Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt.
Nevertheless Burke said he's expecting "the vast majority of consumption" in the beginning to be of acquired shows.
Apple TV+ is launching sometime this fall, presumably after the company's annual September press event, when it will likely confirm an exact date, pricing, and lineup.
Many of Apple's original shows have already been revealed. Yet to be learned though is whether the company will license any third-party material, without which it may be harder to compete not just with NBCUniversal but Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.
Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt in NBC's "A.P. Bio."
Over 500 people are working on the platform, which will rely on the same infrastructure underlying Sky's Now TV in Europe, Burke elaborated. Comcast/NBCUniversal owns Sky, and Now TV is available on iOS, Mac, and Apple TV, among other platforms.
"We believe we have a very innovative way of coming to the market that is very different than anything else and has very attractive financial aspects," said Burke.
NBCUniversal's timing will give Apple TV+ a few months' headstart, but the former may have some content advantages. It will for instance become the exclusive home of "The Office," which for years was one of the most-watched shows on NBC, then Netflix. It's also planning original content with a focus on existing properties, one example being a third season of "A.P. Bio," which stars Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt.
Nevertheless Burke said he's expecting "the vast majority of consumption" in the beginning to be of acquired shows.
Apple TV+ is launching sometime this fall, presumably after the company's annual September press event, when it will likely confirm an exact date, pricing, and lineup.
Many of Apple's original shows have already been revealed. Yet to be learned though is whether the company will license any third-party material, without which it may be harder to compete not just with NBCUniversal but Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.
Comments
I sure as hell refuse to sign up for CBS All access. I'm sure not going to sign up for NBC Universal. I'll get my free NBC and CBS from the antenna. I'm already on the fence with Netflex and their huge price increase. Remember the days when it was CHEAP and so much worth it? It's ore than doubled since then.
"We believe we have a very innovative way of coming to the market that is very different than anything else and has very attractive financial aspects," said Burke. What a laughable comment that is. It's no different from everyone else.
check out https://www.nasdaq.com/article/your-complete-guide-to-everything-owned-by-comcast-cm859101 to see just how large they are. They intent is to control everything.
What I would be most interested in is PPV sporting events. $.99 or so to get a live stream of a particular NFL or NHL game? Sure. But that ain't happening when their subscriptions are so lucrative.
I also have a public library with not only tons of DVD based content, but streaming stuff too. All free. Free is a good price.
Another clever model would be for content providers to offer opt-in ads. Make an account with user preferences for ads, and each time I sit through one, my account gets credited some meager amount. Then use that payment to pay for other content. Given that the viewers are selecting themselves as a target, it would seem that the provider could charge advertisers way more. And you know...if it really was targeted based on my input, I might actually be interested in what they have to sell. I still don't know why I get ads from the Boeing Company on my TV. They expect me to buy airliners or missiles? Odd.
2) You also get original programming that you won't get access to with your standard cable channels. Of course, there will certainly be scripted content (probably even more) that you can't get access to with Netflix (at least not right away) and likely even Hulu. Does basic cable come with on-demand?
But, to each their own. Maybe others enjoy all the archived network reruns.
Makes you realize how great an idea Apples rumored attempts at combining everyone's content into one platform was.
Why do people ignore iTunes? Sometimes I laugh when people are choosing which streaming service to pay for next month when my iTunes library absolutely DESTROYS any content available on any of these services.
Some iTunes movies drop to $4.99 and that includes 4k Dolby Vision with Atmos! Some movies have even dropped to $3.99!!
So you pay a bunch of dark, back room lads and lasses to build yet another streaming service, and bullshit “it’s a very innovative way” with a straight face. Because to do anything else would be to admit you got nothun.
https://www.blu-ray.com/deals/?sortby=price&category=ituneshd