Here comes another one.
NBC will be starting its own streaming service, set to launch in the first quarter of 2020, the company announced Monday. It's just the latest network/theme park conglomerate/online bookseller to jump into the ever-growing field of streaming services out there.
Since the Netflix boom first took hold, Amazon, Disney, CBS, and dozens of smaller names have tried to break into the world of streaming. They've pumped out original content to attract new subscribers, added live TV to present an alternative to cable, and paid exorbitant amounts of money to keep one fan-favorite show.
NBC's service presents a twist to that option, offering ad-supported streaming to paying cable customers for free. That's because the company wants to attract a sizable base of subscribers right as it launches, sources tell CNBC. Non-cable subscribers can pay around $12 per month for access to 1,500 hours of NBC TV shows. But first, the company will have to ensure existing cable companies — including competitors to its parent company Comcast — are on board.
Adding to NBC's original TV programs, the streaming service also intends to produce content tied to the 2020 Summer Olympics that debuts as the service launches. NBC has already stripped some of its top shows from Netflix, but "does not plan on aggressively pulling back shows and movies it has licensed to other streaming services," CNBC reports.