Peacock TV

[Yowza]

As many of you know, most major studio's are now going the SVOD route much to the chagrin of everyone who doesn't want to pay for more than 1 subscription based streaming service besides cable or satellite each month.

Where's that leave Netflix or Prime for non-original content in the future do you think?


Peacock TV=Major Studio Backed SVOD Service:
Why the Name Peacock TV?: 1956-1962 NBC 1st utilized the Peacock animal as their mascot to signify the increase in colored programming (their owner RCA started making colored TV sets back then).
Launch of https://peacock.nbcuniversal.com: Jimmy Fallon video now plays promoting the service and gives out a thank-you for signing up.

Here's the press release pertaining to Peacock TV:

NBCUniversal Announces 'Peacock' As The Name Of Its Streaming Service And Unveils Initial Content Lineup
NBCUniversal today announced “Peacock” (www.peacocktv.com) as the name for its new streaming service.
Peacock is a nod to NBC’s iconic logo and NBCUniversal’s rich legacy of creating beloved films, TV series, characters and franchises that have been at the epicenter of pop culture and will continue to define the future of entertainment.

Peacock will deliver a world-class slate of originals while also offering treasured hits from the vaults of NBC, including “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation,” two of the most-watched streaming series. The service will also feature blockbusters and critically-acclaimed films from Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination and Hollywood’s biggest studios. In addition, Peacock will tap into NBCUniversal’s unmatched ability to deliver a broad range of compelling topical content across news, sports, late-night and reality.

Peacock rolls out in April of 2020 with over 15,000 hours of content and takes center stage at the end of July during the 2020 Summer Olympics. As previously announced, Peacock will be both advertising and subscription supported. Details on pricing and distribution will be announced closer to launch.

“The name Peacock pays homage to the quality content that audiences have come to expect from NBCUniversal – whether it’s culture-defining dramas from innovative creators like Sam Esmail, laugh-out-loud comedies from legends like Lorne Michaels and Mike Schur, blockbusters from Universal Pictures, or buzzy unscripted programming from the people who do it best at Bravo and E!,” said Bonnie Hammer, Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer and Digital Enterprises. “Peacock will be the go-to place for both the timely and timeless – from can’t-miss Olympic moments and the 2020 election, to classic fan favorites like ‘The Office’.”

Drama
Peacock will offer a broad slate of original dramas, including “Dr. Death,” based on the true-crime podcast starring Jamie Dornan, Emmy and Golden Globe® winner Alec Baldwin and Golden Globe winner Christian Slater; a reboot of the critically acclaimed and award-winning “Battlestar Galactica,” from Golden Globe® winner and Emmy-nominated “Mr. Robot” and “Homecoming” EP Sam Esmail; “Brave New World,” based on the dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley and starring Alden Ehrenreich (“Solo: A Star Wars Story”) and Golden Globe® Award nominee Demi Moore; “Angelyne,” a limited series from Golden Globe® Award nominee Emmy Rossum; and “One of Us Is Lying,” based on the New York Times best-selling young adult mystery-thriller.

Comedy
The platform’s new original comedies include “Rutherford Falls,” co-created by Emmy and Peabody Award-winner Mike Schur, Ed Helms, and Sierra Teller Ornelas, and starring Ed Helms; “Straight Talk,” from Emmy® Award nominee Rashida Jones and NAACP Image Award® winner Jada Pinkett Smith; reboots of two beloved series – “Saved By the Bell,” from Emmy® Award winner Tracey Wigfield (“30 Rock”), featuring original cast members including Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez, and “Punky Brewster,” starring Soleil Moon Frye as a grown-up version of her former character; an all-new season of “A.P.Bio,” starring Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt; and the second movie spinoff from the long-running series “Psych.”

Unscripted
Peacock will feature a broad array of the most-talked-about unscripted programming, including a new “Saturday Night Live” docuseries, “Who Wrote That,” from creator Lorne Michaels, exploring the famous personalities in front of and behind the camera; an original talk show series from Jimmy Fallon, in collaboration with Matador Content and Universal Television Alternative Studio; a weekly late night show starring Amber Ruffin and executive produced by Seth Meyers; and a spinoff of Bravo’s successful “The Real Housewives” franchise.

Timeless Titles
In addition to the exclusive streaming rights to the beloved NBC sitcoms “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation,” some of the most popular NBC and classic TV series of all time will be available on Peacock, including “30 Rock,” “Bates Motel,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Cheers,” “Chrisley Knows Best,” “Covert Affairs,” “Downton Abbey,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Frasier,” “Friday Night Lights,” “House,” “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” “King Of Queens,” “Married…With Children,”“Monk,” “Parenthood,” “Psych,” “Royal Pains,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Superstore,” “The Real Housewives,” “Top Chef,” and “Will & Grace.”

Film
Universal Pictures is developing premium original films and animated series to debut on Peacock with prominent talent and filmmakers. Additionally, DreamWorks Animation, the beloved kids and family brand and the studio behind animated hits “Shrek,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “How to Train Your Dragon,” will create original animated content for Peacock, making the platform a must-have offering for the entire family.

Peacock will also offer a robust slate of critically-acclaimed films and box-office hits from Universal Pictures and Focus Features. These titles range from laugh-out-loud comedies like “American Pie,” “Bridesmaids,” “Knocked Up,” “Meet the Parents,” and “Meet the Fockers,” to award-winning classics such as “A Beautiful Mind,” “Back to the Future,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Casino,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Erin Brockovich,” “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial,” “Field of Dreams,” “Jaws,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Shrek,” and “The Breakfast Club.” Peacock will also feature films from the franchises: “Bourne,” “Despicable Me,” and “Fast & Furious.”

Spanish Language
Peacock is uniquely positioned to offer the U.S. Hispanic audience premium programming from the #1 Spanish-language network, Telemundo. The platform will feature more than 3,000 hours of Telemundo’s content, including an original dramedy “Armas de Mujer,” a new hit series from the makers of “La Reina del Sur,” and popular library titles “100 Dias Para Volver,” “Betty in NY,” “El Barón” and “Preso No. 1.”

Just think, if Comcast also bought Fox Studio's then all Fox content would be on here as well.

 

[Doctor Jones]

These streaming wars aren't gonna end well for most of them. This is a really bad investment. Nobody is gonna pay a subscription to watch one or two of their favorite sitcoms on all of these services. Expect piracy to make a real comeback. This is the one time where consolidation was a good thing because at least everyone was making money.

I think the content on the Apple one is gonna flop. But it'll help that they're bundling it with their other products.

NBC was better off just making more money from Netflix than spending hundreds of millions to buy back.

Just think right now we're living in a quaint time for streaming. Trend followers never really succeed.

 

[psylockolussus]

What will Apple tv stream other their original content? Unlike Disney+, Hulu, Max, and Peacock - Apple just doesn't have decades of Tv shows and movies.

Peacock, though I can see why they went with the name, has an odd name. i think all of these streaming platforms can coexist for a long time if they can keep the prices low. But if every streaming service is gonna cost 10 dollars or more monthly even if its for a bundled price, most consumers would just stick to 1 or 2 streaming services. And just watch the rest in piracy sites.

 

[metaphysician]

I can't see all the streaming services keeping their prices low, not when becoming an independent service means all kinds of up front costs. We are going to end up with about two dozen separate streaming "channels", all charging at least $5 a month if not more. This will continue until enough of the weaker competitors lose enough money to surrender ( or go bankrupt ).

 

[Yowza]

Major Non-Studio Centered SVOD's in the Present:
Netflix, Apple, and Amazon are widely reported as trying to build a theatrical distribution model. One aspect of this strategy of course is now being reported as potential interest in Sony (so yeah, on a sidenote Spiderman may return to Marvel for free few years from now as Forbes has said it would if Sony is sold).

I think that answers the question on where a lot of these other huge SVOD services are finding themselves. Apple is looking into various ways to overlap their business into building a theatrical distibution model by looking at a variety of purchasing options besides just Sony:

"Apple has a 'big acquisition' up its sleeve, tech analyst Dan Ives says...A24 Studio, Lionsgate, Viacom/CBS [CBS], Sony Pictures, MGM Studios, Netflix, and then a potential gaming publisher (that could be incorporated into Apple’s streaming service or a separate gaming subscription service) as a wild card..."

A film production studio would help Apple (as well as Netflix and Amazon) begin big and help in terms of getting other production studio's to co-finance as well as produce content for them if they see Apple is able to distribute their own movies adequately (JJ Abrams production deal didn't finalize despite Apple reportedly offering him more money for exclusivity agreement).

The Future:
I think it's telling how even an industry tech giant like Apple and brick/mortar replacement Amazon have really branched out over the last 20 years yet still need to do certain things to break ground with their SVOD service in new territory. There's a lot of money to be made with SVOD and the money is only going to funnel up to the very top echelons at this point. Eventually, all major non-niche SVOD services being directly integrated with stations somehow on a Smart TV set.

Something as game changing as Netflix was about 15 years ago seems to like things are shifting to a point where Netflix will have everyone else on the same playground integrating the old with the new. Netflix will have to take some strides backwards to keep moving forwards it seems to me.

 

[metaphysician]

Eh, Netflix is already big, producing full length movies, and have been for a while. They just don't get the respect, because they are specifically uninterested in *theatrical release*.

Anyway, I think the only streaming services that will survive long term are Netflix, Disney+, HBO Now ( or whatever WB eventually calls their service once they finish tripping over their shoelaces ), and Amazon Prime by technicality*. There probably will be room ultimately for a "Everybody who doesn't want to sell their soul to the big boys" service, which might be Hulu's fate; I can't see Hulu surviving in any other way. Everybody else is either going to go out of business, sell out to one of the big boys, or merge together to form one service defined as "We join together or die" ( see above re: Hulu ). Or, in some cases, perhaps "Grow board with this market segment and wander back off to their original core interests".

*Amazon Prime, unlike the others, is not really a streaming service. Its a premium shipping subscription that happens to have a streaming service attached as a free benefit. It ultimately doesn't need to make money to survive, it just has to serve some purpose for Bezos without costing too much. I can easily see it continuing to exist just for prestige value, even if it never truly competes with the others. . . which is kind of its status now, anyway. It could also disappear tomorrow, even if on paper it had the most subscribers. Its just kind of weird like that.

 

[Filmfreak]

I think Amazon is getting bigger and bigger and is going to be much more competetive in the future, based on its upcoming slate of original projects alone. Probably far more so than Netflix, at least in that regard.

 

[Loden Greatstorm]

Is the office getting rebooted?

 

[Zarex]

Eh, Netflix is already big, producing full length movies, and have been for a while. They just don't get the respect, because they are specifically uninterested in *theatrical release*.

Anyway, I think the only streaming services that will survive long term are Netflix, Disney+, HBO Now ( or whatever WB eventually calls their service once they finish tripping over their shoelaces ), and Amazon Prime by technicality*. There probably will be room ultimately for a "Everybody who doesn't want to sell their soul to the big boys" service, which might be Hulu's fate; I can't see Hulu surviving in any other way. Everybody else is either going to go out of business, sell out to one of the big boys, or merge together to form one service defined as "We join together or die" ( see above re: Hulu ). Or, in some cases, perhaps "Grow board with this market segment and wander back off to their original core interests".

*Amazon Prime, unlike the others, is not really a streaming service. Its a premium shipping subscription that happens to have a streaming service attached as a free benefit. It ultimately doesn't need to make money to survive, it just has to serve some purpose for Bezos without costing too much. I can easily see it continuing to exist just for prestige value, even if it never truly competes with the others. . . which is kind of its status now, anyway. It could also disappear tomorrow, even if on paper it had the most subscribers. Its just kind of weird like that.

I'm thinking the Big Three studio streamers will all find some degree of success, with Hulu (eventually) becoming the adult section of the Disney Plus service (Hulu on Disney Plus) and Netflix going the way of the Blackberry. Amazon and Apple will live on as freeish benefits for folks buying other stuff from the FAANGs.

 

[terry78]

Tell me again why this is better than cable from a price standpoint

 

[Kuwolski]

You have choice this time and it's easier to cancel.