Looking to follow in the footsteps of CBS All Access, US broadcaster NBCUniversal is planning its own streaming service, set to launch early next year.
NBCUniversal said that Bonnie Hammer, who has been promoted to chairman, Direct-to-Consumer and Digital Enterprises, NBCUniversal, will lead the effort.
The service will draw on NBCUniversal’s existing, large content library, and the company will continue to license content from other studios and platforms. It will also provide homegrown fare, even retaining streaming rights to certain programmes it may licence out to partners.
In terms of its model, the service will take a hybrid approach: It will offer advertising-supported access for free for pay-TV customers (sister companies Comcast Cable and Sky alone will provide the free service to their 52 million subscribers in the US and the UK); plus an ad-free version will be available for a subscription to both pay-TV and non-pay-TV customers.
“NBCUniversal has some of the world’s most valuable intellectual property and top talent, both in front of and behind the camera,” said Steve Burke, CEO, NBCUniversal. “Many of the most-watched shows on today’s popular streaming platforms come from NBCUniversal. Our new service will be different than those presently in the market and it will be built on the company’s strengths, with NBCUniversal’s great content and the technology expertise, broad scale and the wide distribution of Comcast Cable and Sky.”
Hammer will build a team that will include key executives from Sky’s OTT offering, NOW TV, and throughout NBCUniversal. In addition, NBCUniversal’s Digital Enterprises group, led by Maggie Suniewick, will move into Hammer’s consolidated digital group.
Burke added, “People are watching premium content more than ever, but they want more flexibility and value. NBCUniversal is perfectly positioned to offer a variety of choices, due to our deep relationships with advertisers and distribution partners, as well as our data-targeting capabilities. Advertising continues to be a major part of the entertainment ecosystem and we believe that a streaming service, with limited and personalised ads, will provide a great consumer experience.”
Separately, Burke announced a reorganisation of his senior leadership team, which will align its content businesses under two executives, Mark Lazarus and Jeff Shell.
The service will draw on NBCUniversal’s existing, large content library, and the company will continue to license content from other studios and platforms. It will also provide homegrown fare, even retaining streaming rights to certain programmes it may licence out to partners.
In terms of its model, the service will take a hybrid approach: It will offer advertising-supported access for free for pay-TV customers (sister companies Comcast Cable and Sky alone will provide the free service to their 52 million subscribers in the US and the UK); plus an ad-free version will be available for a subscription to both pay-TV and non-pay-TV customers.
“NBCUniversal has some of the world’s most valuable intellectual property and top talent, both in front of and behind the camera,” said Steve Burke, CEO, NBCUniversal. “Many of the most-watched shows on today’s popular streaming platforms come from NBCUniversal. Our new service will be different than those presently in the market and it will be built on the company’s strengths, with NBCUniversal’s great content and the technology expertise, broad scale and the wide distribution of Comcast Cable and Sky.”
Hammer will build a team that will include key executives from Sky’s OTT offering, NOW TV, and throughout NBCUniversal. In addition, NBCUniversal’s Digital Enterprises group, led by Maggie Suniewick, will move into Hammer’s consolidated digital group.
Burke added, “People are watching premium content more than ever, but they want more flexibility and value. NBCUniversal is perfectly positioned to offer a variety of choices, due to our deep relationships with advertisers and distribution partners, as well as our data-targeting capabilities. Advertising continues to be a major part of the entertainment ecosystem and we believe that a streaming service, with limited and personalised ads, will provide a great consumer experience.”
Separately, Burke announced a reorganisation of his senior leadership team, which will align its content businesses under two executives, Mark Lazarus and Jeff Shell.
