NBC is reportedly launching its own comedy-focused subscription video service

Will Smith and Jimmy Fallon lay down some beats
(Image credit: The Tonight Show)

NBC Universal knows that you like those Jimmy Fallon videos — and it wants to earn more money from his viral hits. And so, The Wall Street Journal reports, NBCU is in late-stage development on a subscription online comedy channel aimed at 35-and-under cable TV "cord cutters." The web service, which could cost as little as $2.50 to $3.50 a month, will probably include episodes of Fallon's Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, and original content.

What that means for viewers is unclear. One idea NBCU is reportedly considering would be to keep content off of YouTube until it has appeared on the subscription service for a while. Or, if it wants those viral Fallon clips to keep going viral, it could reach a revenue-sharing deal with YouTube, which reportedly wants 45 percent of ad revenue. Is 55 percent unfair for NBCU? Well, last week, CEO Steve Burke said that 70 percent of Tonight Show views are online, and most of those viewings earn NBC next to nothing.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.

Peter Weber

Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.