Two of the biggest streaming services might be combined into one.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Paramount and Comcast have been in “recent talks” about merging Paramount+ and Peacock into a single home for Star Trek, Yellowstone, and Law & Order. Who will Captain Picard throw into a mountain next Super Bowl? Ted better watch out.
Bringing the two streaming apps under one roof could produce significant cost savings — from spending on programming to marketing — and create a more in-depth offering for consumers, especially with regard to live sports. A commercial partnership or joint venture are among the arrangements the companies could pursue. Entertainment companies across the industry are exploring new streaming bundles and ventures to gain scale, attract more customers and help to alleviate the costs of running their direct-to-consumer services amid declines in pay TV subscribers.
As of last year, Paramount+ has 63 million subscribers, while Peacock is around 30 million. That’s well behind Netflix and Disney+; a merger would close the gap slightly, especially if the NFL rights remained (Paramount+ streamed Super Bowl LVIII, while Peacock has Sunday Night Football and exclusive playoff games, as well as historic women’s college basketball feats).
A big question remains, other than can we go back to the days of broadcast and cable when everything was simpler: what would the new streaming service be called? Peamount? Paracock? Mountcock? Hm. Probably not that last one.
(Via the Wall Street Journal)