NBCUniversal's Upcoming Streaming Service: What they could do to Compete with Netflix, Disney, and WarnerMedia.

Nexonius

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Looking at all of the streaming services being announced and talked about, Disney really rocked the industry with their old and new shows, Fox product, and offerings. WarnerMedia has months to display their service stuff but they have several such as DC Universe, Boomerang, VRV, and Crunchyroll, plus many studios in their hands to contribute lots of programming to the service along with their gigantic library. Viacom is working alongside their recently acquired service Pluto TV, providing channels and such and CBS has CBS All
Access with their library of old and new shows.

Where does that leave Comcast?

NBCU is toe to toe with WarnerMedia while trying to beat Disney at their game as they have been trying to do for over a decade with limited success. Unlike Disney they don't have many big properties that are fresh enough for people to flock over to their service nor the kind of variety that the other companies have respectively. If anything they would need a lot of guidance to garner success.

1. Spend some big bucks on big name stars and proven producers.

Something Disney had done for their presentation was bringing out the big guns in their IPs being made, such as The Mandalorian and The Falcon and Winter Soilder. There needs to be the same kind of energy NBCU should keep and it's not an easy task.

2. Shows that are being developed for the NBCU networks that has the potential to be big raving hits need to be saved for the service, along with second runs airing on the respective networks.

3. Look into their IPs for new series and miniseries. Jurassic World, Fast and Furious, the Universal Monsters, Back to the Future, Tremors, Riddick, Chucky, etc. Try to look at several of the properties to have producers develop it for the audience.

4. Take hit shows that they own from other streaming places down the road. DreamWorks Animation has a deal with Hulu which Comcast still has a stake in, why not expand the studio to provide the service with more TV series.

5. Bring some comic books to life. Not to be all Marvel here but with Avengers being set to become the biggest movie of all time, now is the time to bring amazing superheroes to life. They have several characters that's owned by DreamWorks because of Classic Media, such as Magnus, Turok, Solar, Doctor Spektor, Space Family Robinson, Mighty Samson and many more that can be updated to either fun/dark live-action series or animated offerings.

6. More than likely acquire another big media company (if no merger proposal works out between CBS and Viacom): Viacom. They have hundreds of characters, big name properties, etc. They collaborated many times over the years, such as Nickelodeon shows being produced at Universal Studios Flordia, Universal owning the older Paramount movies and shorts, and characters appearing at Universal Orlando Resort. Comcast could surely benefit from it.

7. Make the price affordable. Disney has a very decent price for their service and they have a lot of product about to premiere on there. There is no way that NBCU's service should be more.

Any other suggestions?
 

Nexonius

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Oh wow, forgot that tidbit.

Also almost forgot that Battlestar Gallactica was a Universal property. Certainly they could do a big project with that.
 

lowell

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There are 3 problems with number 6 besides the Redstones:

1. Comcast still needs to pay off their debt, including the Sky deal: $114.7 billion.

2. The DOJ is still looking at them even though the 2011 conditions are over. That's why they dropped the Fox bid once the DOJ filed the failed appeal against AT&T alongside the desire to pursue Sky.

3. There has been a lot of speculation that Lionsgate might be the target Comcast is looking for especially if John Malone will eventually merge Discovery and Lionsgate together. Malone's, his company Liberty Global's, and Discovery's combined stakes in Lionsgate amounts to 14.3%.
I think once all the debt has paid off and all major entertainment companies have launched their services out, there will be pursuit of the mini-majors and the smaller network groups to grow out their platforms. Plus, Lionsgate has Starz which Comcast could use its programming to fill some of the HBO & Showtime void on Sky once they don't renegotiate their licensing deal in favor of rolling out their services globally. Discovery is also prominent with international sports programming which could grow NBC Sports and Sky Sports.

P.S. Outside of this, they're planning for the service to be like a TV Everywhere site for Comcast & Sky subscribers and those that have NBC through a cable, satellite, or other provider. This is because they don't want their service to cannibalize their core cable and satellite businesses.
 

AdrenalineRush1996

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More than likely acquire another big media company (if no merger proposal works out between CBS and Viacom): Viacom. They have hundreds of characters, big name properties, etc. They collaborated many times over the years, such as Nickelodeon shows being produced at Universal Studios Flordia, Universal owning the older Paramount movies and shorts, and characters appearing at Universal Orlando Resort. Comcast could surely benefit from it.
Eh, I doubt it and if anything, I think Viacom will likely have CBS All Access once the remerger is finalised in addition to Pluto TV, so there's not really a need for a Comcast/Viacom merger.
 

the greenman

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I feel like Universal and WB have been at odds (yet frienemies) for decades over multiple little issues. They also look the most likely to merge in this next decade.



 

lowell

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I doubt this service will go international. Same with WarnerMedia.
Technically, this is also being made available to Sky customers in Europe so it's not just domestic. WarnerMedia's global rollout will depend if they can remove licensing deals once they expire like HBO content licensed to Sky ending next year. I think WarnerMedia's service might be more successful than NBCUniversal-Sky though.
 

Red Arrow

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WarnerMedia's global rollout will depend if they can remove licensing deals once they expire like HBO content licensed to Sky ending next year.
It's going to depend on nothing. It won't roll out globally. Neither did CW Seed, DC Universe, Crunchyroll or the Boomerang app. Heck, even most of Warner Bros' Region 2 DVDs feel like an afterthought. "Oops, we forgot some audio tracks, oh well, who cares."
 

lowell

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It's going to depend on nothing. It won't roll out globally. Neither did CW Seed, DC Universe, Crunchyroll or the Boomerang app. Heck, even most of Warner Bros' Region 2 DVDs feel like an afterthought. "Oops, we forgot some audio tracks, oh well, who cares."
Well, DC Universe was still a Warner Bros. during Time Warner era decision that was implemented a few months after AT&T became owner but still binded by the DOJ appeal. Now that they're in full control, AT&T is going to be more hands-on but more organizational than creative. Keep an eye out on their overall plan as WarnerMedia, not each entity on its own because even Turner and HBO don't have that autonomy anymore.
 

JTOONSAnimation

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I believe they said there would be a free ad-supported plan, something no major streaming service does (except Crackle)
 

lowell

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I believe they said there would be a free ad-supported plan, something no major streaming service does (except Crackle)
It's a free TV Everywhere site for Comcast & Sky subscribers or those that have NBC through a cable, satellite, or other provider. Everyone outside of those requirements would have to pay.
 

PF9

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What this service could do differently from other services is offer content types a la carte to people who only want certain types of content at a reduced price.

Say one wants only family content. This would encompass DreamWorks Animation and Classics, Walter Lantz cartoons and derivative works, Universal Animation Studios, Illumination and TNBC among others.

Or maybe one only wants to watch past NBC primetime shows. This would not only include 1973-2004 NBC Studios shows (rights to their pre-1973 shows like Bonanza are owned by CBS), but also pre-merger Universal TV shows that aired on NBC including Revue Studios and Studios USA, along with 2004-present shows aired on NBC and produced by what is currently the third incarnation of Universal Television.
 

Nexonius

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What this service could do differently from other services is offer content types a la carte to people who only want certain types of content at a reduced price.

Say one wants only family content. This would encompass DreamWorks Animation and Classics, Walter Lantz cartoons and derivative works, Universal Animation Studios, Illumination and TNBC among others.

Or maybe one only wants to watch past NBC primetime shows. This would not only include 1973-2004 NBC Studios shows (rights to their pre-1973 shows like Bonanza are owned by CBS), but also pre-merger Universal TV shows that aired on NBC including Revue Studios and Studios USA, along with 2004-present shows aired on NBC and produced by what is currently the third incarnation of Universal Television.
Keep in mind b that some of those shows that Universal or NBC produced are co-productions with other major companies, who may control certain rights either domestic or international . NBC's deal with MGM to distribute their TV shows and movies from their post-1974 library internationally up until the merger with Universal in 2004.

The movies can definitely garner a look. Classic movies, fan favorites, Monster movies, etc.

Mosr of DreamWorks Animation content is tied up elsewhere, but the classic shorts can appear.

Thing is, they may need to acquire another studio for a slew of well known properties to flow at their feet. Or at least acquire Paramount Pictures, since Universal does have several of their movies.

And name wise, maybe Universal Play or something catchy.
 

AdrenalineRush1996

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Thing is, they may need to acquire another studio for a slew of well known properties to flow at their feet. Or at least acquire Paramount Pictures, since Universal does have several of their movies.
Eh, I think the CBS/Viacom remerger looks more likely than a possible Comcast acquisition of Paramount. Universal could buy the remaining stake of Dreamworks SKG they do not own since they now own DWA.
 

the greenman

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The main attraction for me at this point is basically a streaming version of old school "Sci-Fi Channel". Now alot of things they did not fully have the rights to. For instance; early on they replayed reruns of My Favorite Martian, Twilight Zone, Addams Family, and even cartoons like Transformers, Astro Boy, Gigantor, and Speed Racer.

The few things they had the rights to like Battlestar Galactica (original), The Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman, Airwolf, Night Gallery, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Incredible Hulk, Quantum Leap, Sliders, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Knight Rider, Amazing Stories, New Alfred Hitchcock Presents, SeaQuest DSV, they often played ad naseum for obvious reasons. . . THEY OWNED THEM.

There were other series they coproduced, thus giving them license. Even still, this list alone, if on a streaming service would keep just a scifi fan transfixed for a year.

Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk
 

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