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NBC Peacock

9K views 53 replies 20 participants last post by  ExDilbert 
#1 ·
#7 ·
I was scratching my head for a bit - that's in a second Hollywood Reporter article I hadn't seen - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/l...tegy-name-programming-lineup-revealed-1240157

I'd guess day one, they'll be selling to Canadian services, ala Hulu, if there's no immediate Canadian launch. (mind you CBS launched quickly here despite selling most of their exclusive content elsewhere!)

In related news today, apparently the new BSG series isn't a remake - but instead something in the same universe as the 2003 series. I'm not entirely sure how they do that, given how it ended. Caprica was an attempt at a prequel, but without the epicness of the BG plotline, never really achieved the same following. Though I suppose it could follow another post-invasion Battlestar or group. https://ca.ign.com/articles/2019/09...-reboot-in-development-under-mr-robot-creator
 
#4 ·
I wonder if they would bother selling the shows to various networks here in Canada, or if they would rather just keep them as "Peacock Exclusives" and wait until they come to Canada with the streaming service so it's more enticing for Canadians to purchase. For example iif they go and sell the new BSG to CTV Sci-Fi, what reason do I have to order Peacock? I'm already paying for CTV Sci-Fi, no need to order something else.
 
#5 ·
NBCUniversal Announces "Peacock" as the Name of Its Streaming Service and Unveils Initial Content Lineup

From the Official Press Release: "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."

Previous announcements also said they would be adding several programs in October 2020 when their contracts are up with Hulu.
 
#8 ·
This is the future... networks offering their products (shows) in their own streaming package (at a cost) and still have it full of ads. (With the advantage that they can be targeted).
In other words it wont be long where people will be spending in streaming services what they were paying for cable with the added expense of needing a higher tier internet service at high cost....
Fun times...
 
#9 ·
Plus Canadians either won't get some US streaming services or their most popular content will be sold to conventional Canadian broadcasters. That will increase the cost even more in Canada since consumers will need a BDU subscription plus the available US OTT services to get everything they want to watch. Crave has a lot of that content but it's not a replacement for OTA like NBC Peacock or CBS All Access are in the US.
 
#11 ·
Plus Canadians either won't get some US streaming services or their most popular content will be sold to conventional Canadian broadcasters. That will increase the cost even more in Canada since consumers will need a BDU subscription plus the available US OTT services to get everything they want to watch. Crave has a lot of that content but it's not a replacement for OTA like NBC Peacock or CBS All Access are in the US.
Studios can choose to do that if they want but many people (like me) will simply not watch the shows that are destined for conventional TV. I'm done with conventional TV. As for multiple streaming services, you don't need access to all of them at once. There is only so much TV you can watch. Simply just rotate the services as needed.
 
#12 ·
While I'm finding conventional TV less appealing all the time, I'm not writing it off yet. There are shows I like spread across networks, cable channels and OTT services. That's the problem. Broadcasters and studios use the proliferation of channels and services to increase revenue and force consumers to subscribe to many of them to obtain a variety of content. Rotating subscriptions helps keep costs down but it's only part of the solution.

In the US, it's possible to get most, if not all, of the available programming on OTT services. In Canada that's not the case. I'm well aware of the workarounds to reduce costs but Canadian broadcasters use their monopoly to reduce their effectiveness. With the amount of advertising and self promotion on networks, the only thing that makes network TV palatable is the PVR. I won't watch OTT services that insert advertising that cannot be skipped because its too annoying and wastes too much time. I've better things to do than try to watch a TV show that wastes 1/4 to 1/3 of my time and eliminates any enjoyment it might otherwise provide.

It looks like I won't be subscribing to Peacock for the reasons cited. That they plan to insert advertising is a non-starter for me. If they offer a no advertising option, like Hulu, that may make it palatable.
 
#13 ·
Actually I am quite the opposite I am basically turned off streaming. You have to scroll through endless screens to find something you might be interested in. I find it a waste of time to scroll through categories a tiles to find something. Search only works if you know that a certain show or movie is on the service you are currently logged into. Every service has a slightly different interface. At least with a BDU it is one consistent interface.
 
#14 ·
Or a consistently bad interface with some BDUs but at least it's consistent. With streaming services or VOD I am usually looking for a particular show or movie. At the very least I am looking for a very specific genre. I find that the suggested shows and movies on Netflix are at least in the ballpark, unlike some BDUs.

The main issue I have with the multitude of streaming services and channels or VOD on BDUs is finding shows. There are search functions and sites that help but they don't always work well. Even the sites for the stations that air the shows don't seem to have them listed sometimes. Then there are the shows that show up days, weeks or months late. It's usually really easy to find when and where a show is on in the US. There is lots of publicity and many sites that fully document new or returning shows for US channels but not much in Canada.
 
#15 ·
Down the road, Comcast/NBCU plans to launch Peacock internationally. However, "For now, we are focused on the U.S." (Variety)

Full Press Release: NBCUniversal Unveils Peacock, A Free Premium Ad-Supported Streaming Service with Subscription Tiers

Launching April 15 for Xfinity X1 and Flex customers and July 15 nationwide.

Peacock Free: This free, ad-supported option will provide more than 7,500 hours of programming.
Peacock Premium: Bundled at no additional cost to Comcast and Cox subscribers, this ad-supported option with more than 15,000 hours of content will additionally include full season Peacock originals and tent-pole series, next day access to current seasons of returning broadcast series, early access to late night talk shows, and additional sports - such as the Premier League. Also available for $4.99 per month for other customers.

Premium customers can upgrade to an ad-free experience for an additional $5.00 per month.
 
#16 ·
With Rogers, Shaw and Videotron all using X1 and tech sharing with Comcast, what are the odds subscribers of these services get some form of Peacock free like the Comcast and Cox customers do in the US? I think there is a reasonably good change (with certain content omitted for rights ownership purposes of course).
 
#17 ·
The release is almost certainly referring to Comcast Xfinity X1 and Flex customers, not the just the hardware. In addition, X1 is marketed by different names in Canada. If Peacock does launch in Canada, licensing restrictions will likely mean the absence of thousands of titles on the Canadian version. As long as Canadian broadcasters rely on protectionist policies and vertical market dominance to obtain exclusive licensing in Canada, that will not change.
 
#18 ·
I think the potential for Peacock in Canada is a long way off, if ever. It's not clear from the quote what the exec was referencing when he talked about launching Peacock internationally. The initial announcements included Comcast's Sky UK division, but that was not mentioned in yesterday's press release, so that may the international launch. Everything I read about Comcast's strategy seems to be about using their existing advertising infrastructure to sell ads in the U.S.
 
#20 ·
From the US standpoint Canada is not international nor are we remotely "domestic". In fact, in most cases we don't exist. I've yet to see any US news story about new streaming shows ever mention the Canadian service. There was never any mention that Space was carrying Star Trek Discovery in Canada and just last week a Reuters article on Star Trek Picard gave its readers no information about new show's presence on CTV's Sci-Fi channel (or whatever it's called) although it did tell us about where the show could be found in about a half dozen other countries. That Reuters article by the way was published in a Canadian newspaper so you'd think the local editors might have slipped in a CTV plug to inform their readers. Not a mention.
 
#23 ·
Is this universal rights or just rights to air on TV? Could we still get a version of Peacock and NBC would retain the streaming rights (similar to the arrangement Corus has for it's reality shows now ie. Real Housewives) where they air on Corus networks but NBC retained the rights to stream the shows on Hayu.
 
#24 ·
Here's what the press release says "The exclusive deal includes a selection of original scripted and unscripted content, along with movies and specials, produced for Peacock airing across Corus networks and platforms.....With full linear and on-demand stacking rights, this partnership further bolsters Corus’ powerful suite of brands and platforms with more premium content opportunities for advertisers."

It doesn't mention streaming specifically, but it does say "platforms" a couple of times, so it's hard to say. The "full linear and on-demand stacking rights" leaves out any mention of streaming as well. "Stacking rights" means Corus can carry the entire season or possibly multiple seasons on demand.

It's not likely NBC would launch a streaming service in Canada to compete against Corus, but it's possible they might be able to license the content to a streamer depending on the exact terms of the contract.
 
#25 ·
I know their logo is a peacock but i was wondering what peacock programming meant untill i read the press release: to air marquee Peacock Original programming in Canada, ok so classic stuff they produced, sounds cool, Corus Entertainment? they are a cool network, no problems here. now it depends on what networks they choose to air them on, not everyone will be able to watch if your antenna only, they may air them on specialty networks and vice a versa. I think I can get 2 corus channels via antenna lets see what happens in the future
 
#26 ·
Just checked out of curiosity and all of the NBC Universal shows on Hayu that air on Slice are also available on the Global TV app so this doesn't resolve this question at all. There will also be other content not exclusive to the app which have other network homes in Canada (the new Law and Order Organized Crime for example is on Citytv but on Peacock in the states). I'm guessing based on this there is a decent likelihood Peacock will be available in Canada and instead of selling the streaming rights to a Netflix or Crave, NBC will retain those rights for their own services as they already do for their reality shows on Hayu.
 
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