One of the leading broadcast networks is pulling the plug on sending its shows over to streaming platform Hulu and instead favoring its own streaming platform.
Here’s the latest and what fans of NBC shows should know.
What Happened: Beginning Sep. 19, 2022, shows that air on NBC and Bravo will no longer head to streaming platform Hulu on a next-day basis. Instead, the shows will air the day after their network premiere exclusively on Peacock, the streaming platform owned by NBC parent Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA).
The move will see new episodes of hit shows such as “Saturday Night Live,” “Law & Order,” “The Real Housewives,” “Top Chef” and “Below Deck” no longer available on Hulu.
“We are excited to provide Peacock customers with a comprehensive destination for streaming the incredible programming airing on NBC and Bravo all year long,” Peacock and NBC Universal Direct-to-Consumer President Kelly Campbell said.
Related Link: Sand Runs Out In Hourglass: 'Days of Our Lives' Moves After 50-Plus Years On Network TV To A Streaming Platform
Why It’s Important: Peacock terminated a content-sharing deal with Hulu back in March, making the recent announcement expected to many.
Comcast owns 33% of Hulu with Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS) owning the remaining 67% and has control over the platform. Comcast has a deal to sell its stake in 2024, a move expected and one that could provide a boost to Comcast’s share price with the increased valuation for the streaming platform.
NBC also announced it was moving its long-running soap opera “Days Of Our Lives” to Peacock recently.
Peacock offers streaming of the next day Bravo and NBC shows and is also the home of several NBC Universal movies like “Jurassic World: Dominion” and “Sunday Night Football.”
The company said it provides premium content of TV, film, sports and news with under five minutes of ads per hour for $5 per month.
To coincide with the news announcement, Peacock debuted a new offer of $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year for new Peacock customers throughout the month of September.
Peacock had 13 million subscribers at the end of the recent quarter, flat from the previous quarter.
Hulu ended the recent quarter with 46.2 million subscribers for free and paid offerings, up 8% year-over-year. Hulu is one of the Disney streaming platforms that will see price increases later this year.
The latest move by Comcast will be watched to see if it provides a boost to subscribers in the next quarterly report.
CMCSA Price Action: Comcast shares are up 0.24% to $37.25 on Thursday.
Photo: ©2019/Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC via NBC; L&O screenshot (cropped)
