How NBCUniversal's deal with YouTube could jumpstart the next chapter of the streaming wars
📰 source: cnbc_usnews · 💼 business
nbcuniversal struck a deal with youtube premium: starting early next year, u.s. subscribers get peacock premium bundled in at no extra cost. peacock shows like love island usa and real housewives, plus live sports from the nfl and nba, will be available directly on youtube. youtube premium's $15.99/month price stays the same.
the deal marks a shift for nbcuniversal toward wholesale distribution — a similar apple tv deal required an extra fee. comcast co-ceo mike cavanagh said the strategy is to partner while building their own platforms. for youtube, it strengthens premium and could help in chasing live sports rights after losing nfl games to netflix.
the move could kick off a third phase of streaming wars: aggregation. netflix, disney, and amazon are clear aggregators. nbcuniversal is licensing content to bigger platforms, but risks cannibalizing its own subscribers. executives felt youtube's economics made sense. other media companies may follow.
why it matters: distribution deals like this reshape streaming competition, potentially moving the industry toward an aggregation model similar to cable bundles.
source: cnbc_usnews
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