Saturday, February 22, 2020

Comcast, Fox Look To Bolster Streaming Efforts

NBCUniversal and Fox Corp -- two traditional TV network-based media companies -- are looking to boost streaming efforts in two possible separate deals, according to Mediapost citing reports.

NBCU is in advance talks to buy Walmart-owned streaming service Vudu, while Fox is looking to buy Tubi, a pay TV advertising streaming platform. Both stories were reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The price tag for Tubi is said to be $500 million. Last January, Pluto TV, a similar pay TV, ad-supported service of networks, was sold to Viacom for $340 million.

Walmart bought Vudu -- a service that allows customers to rent or buy individual movies or shows -- for $100 million in 2010

In 2016, Vudu started a free, ad-supported streaming service. Advertisers can target ads based on Walmart’s shopper data which can then run on TV shows and movies on Vudu.

NBCU is starting up its big, broad-based premium Peacock service in April. Vudu could complement this effort. Other media companies have done the same when it comes to combining disparate in-house, individual streaming platforms.

Tubi, a modest service with 25 million monthly active users as of December, has much content focusing on reruns of TV shows and library movies.

Recently, Tubi said it expected to spend $100 million on content in 2020. Tubi’s existing content partners include Warner Bros., Paramount and Lionsgate.

Recently, ViacomCBS said it was also looking to expand its streaming efforts -- around CBS All Access, as well as including content from MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, BET and VH1.

ViacomCBS new broader effort is to compete with bigger, all-encompassing TV services such as Disney+ as well as new services to come -- NBCU’s Peacock and WarnerMedia’s HBO Max.

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