Comcast to Launch Comedy-Focused Subscription Video Service -- Update
October 15 2015 - 7:33PM
Dow Jones News
By Shalini Ramachandran
Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal said Thursday it will launch a
comedy-focused subscription video service for $3.99 a month, adding
to the dizzying array of new streaming offerings in the market.
The new on-demand streaming service, which will be called Seeso,
will be available widely in January and will feature ad-free
content from television shows like "The Tonight Show" starring
Jimmy Fallon as well as Web original series.
It was developed in a 10-month sprint led by NBCUniversal
Executive Vice President Evan Shapiro. At an event in New York, Mr.
Shapiro emphasized that the service is meant to serve a "big niche"
that could potentially appeal to "millions and millions" of
people.
Beyond Mr. Fallon's "Tonight Show," Seeso will include
programming from comedian Seth Meyers's late-night show and all of
the "Saturday Night Live" library, including full episodes the day
after they air on TV. It will also have the entire series of shows
like "30 Rock," "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation."
Seeso will include three to five films a month plus a library of
all the Monty Python movies and live-streamed comedy performances
once a month, the company said.
In addition, NBCUniversal will offer original series through
Seeso. Mr. Shapiro is scouring both the traditional television
world and the Web for the talent that will star in and produce
originals. New series include "The UCB Show," a weekly variety
showcase co-hosted and co-executive produced by Amy Poehler, and
"The Cyanide and Happiness Show," an animated series that found a
following on YouTube.
In March, The Wall Street Journal reported Comcast was
developing the comedy streaming service.
About 10% to 15% of content on Seeso will be available to
nonsubscribers, but consumers will have to pay the monthly fee for
enhanced access, including all the episodes of an original series.
None of NBCUniversal's comedy content available on YouTube, such as
clips from Mr. Fallon's late-night show, will be taken off
YouTube.
One challenge for NBCUniversal will be competing for a share of
consumers' wallets against many other streaming media providers.
Netflix Inc., which has some 43 million U.S. customers, recently
raised the price for its two-stream plan to $9.99 a month. Hulu
costs $7.99. Dish Network Corp.'s Sling TV offers a package of TV
channels for $20 a month. CBS Corp.'s "All Access" service is $5.99
a month. Time Warner Inc.'s HBO Now is $14.99. For users who are
mixing and matching those offerings, the costs can quickly add
up.
NBCUniversal owns the NBC broadcast network as well as cable
channels such as USA, E!, Bravo and Syfy. Like other media
companies, it is experimenting with new business models as
traditional TV comes under pressure from cord-cutting, ratings
declines and an uncertain advertising market.
In particular, reaching younger viewers has become a priority
for media outfits as data show that they are disproportionately
moving away from traditional TV viewing. The goal of services such
as Seeso is to lure some of those consumers without accelerating
the decline of traditional pay TV. NBCUniversal also recently
invested in new-media players BuzzFeed and Vox.
Mr. Shapiro said NBCUniversal didn't want to create another TV
channel, given the challenges of the pay-TV market. The company
views Seeso as complementary to its cable TV business, he said.
Mr. Shapiro said the company decided a comedy-specific offering
made more sense than creating a more wide-ranging streaming
entertainment service. "Being all things to all people is both
really hard and really expensive," Mr. Shapiro said.
Write to Shalini Ramachandran at
shalini.ramachandran@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 15, 2015 19:18 ET (23:18 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2015 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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