Walmart is probably best known as the place to pull off the highway, put a few quarters into a vending machine and get a can of Dr. Thunder, but perhaps soon it will also be the streaming service where you watch the latest episode of The Mandalorian.
That is, of course, if Walmart+ gets off the ground as a content curation platform. On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the big box megastore is hoping to land a streaming deal to add onto its monthly subscription service you probably didn’t know already existed:
In recent weeks, executives from Paramount, Disney and Comcast have spoken with Walmart, the people said, as the retailer ponders which movies and TV shows would add the most value to its membership bundle, called Walmart+. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.
The report made it clear there’s no real indication that Paramount+, Disney+ or Peacock are ready to join forces with Walmart just yet. But it’s certainly an interesting development in a streaming landscape that’s somehow getting both more crowded and less robust in recent months.
And while it may seem really strange that Walmart wants to get into streaming, it actually makes a bit of sense once you learn what Walmart currently provides:
A Walmart+ membership, which costs $12.95 per month, includes free shipping on orders and discounts on fuel. It also includes a free six-month subscription to the Spotify Premium music service.
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The retailer is increasingly looking to build its relationship with its customers beyond the footprint of its big-box stores, particularly given the dominance of Amazon.com’s Prime membership program.
As HBO Max and other streaming platforms have learned, actually making content can be more expensive and labor-intensive than just buying the good stuff at a premium and letting folks stream to their heart’s content. And while that’s bad news in a lot of ways, Walmart attempting to make its own Amazon Prime-like service without having to make anything for itself is certainly plausible. The Times report made note of wireless providers like Verizon and T-Mobile striking deals with streaming services to create bundles in a similar way, too.
Still, it’s weird to see the plus symbol next to America’s most famous big box store. But all things can become familiar if there’s enough money in it for everyone, I suppose.
[via NY Times]