NBCUniversal has penned a multi-year deal with Snapchat that will have it creating new shows of one sort or another for the messaging app. These original shows will in some way hinge on NBCU’s more popular shows like SNL and The Tonight Show, but it isn’t clear at this point exactly what form these shows will take. We do know, however, that the show “The Voice on Snapchat” will be the first to premiere.
If there were still any doubt that virtual reality is the next big thing in computing and entertainment, this should probably banish those. For the first time ever, Olympics, which will be held this year in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, will be available via VR, though not in live coverage. And not just any VR, mind you, NBC is making it an exclusive for Samsung Gear VR owners, with authorized Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and for certain pay-TV subscribers only. Talk about VIP.
NBC is preparing to launch SeeSo, its own streaming video service with a focus on comedy TV shows and movies, no ads, and priced at just $4 a month. Basically like a mini Netflix or Hulu service that only offers one specific genre of entertainment. In order to let viewers try out SeeSo, and in turn test the demand for the service, NBC has said it's launching a one-month free trial in the form of a public beta.
NBC has a new comedy inbound, according to a new report, and it is called “The Russians are Coming.” For those familiar with the 60s feature comedy by the same name, you may be disappointed, as this series has nothing to do with that show. Rather, it’ll be a new source of amusement from Mila Kunis’ Orchard Farm Productions and Universal Television.
NBC Universal have announced a subscription channel by the name of SeeSo, bringing all manner of comedy-centric shows for a monthly fee. This subscription channel will be based on the web - much like Netflix or Hulu - and will cost users $3.99 per month. There'll also be a free tier - sort of like Hulu - which delivers a set of shows and/or clips to the public to draw in paying users. SeeSo is being launched within Comcast/NBCU and is self-described as a "startup" organization.
Bad news for die-hard fans of the NBC show Hannibal, as it was revealed today that the studio has not renewed it for another season, meaning the current third season will be its last. The drama, which acts as prequel to the original Hannibal Lecter movie Silence of the Lambs, has a dedicated fan base and was praised by critics, but unfortunately never found a broad audience, especially for being on one of the US's major networks.
For the longest time, cord-cutting (getting rid of cable) meant jumping through a lot of hoops and possibly resorting to less than kosher methods for getting one's entertainment fix. Networks have been slow to embrace technological changes, but now that consumers have moved in such a great mass toward the technology most convenient to them (mobile devices, primarily), some daring companies have decided to cater to them, and now the ball has begun rolling. Latest to contemplate launching a standalone subscription video service is NBCUniversal.
Netflix, which just recently announced that it'll be bringing about a fourth season of previously cancelled series Longmire, has another show inbound: NBC's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The show is the brainchild of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, and if you haven't heard of it before, that's likely because it hasn't aired yet. The show was set to arrive on NBC (you can see a "Coming Soon" page on the network's website) but it seems that has changed, with it being reported that Netflix has stepped in to take over.
Netflix has confirmed rumors that it acquired The Blacklist, though it hasn't given confirmation about the leaked amount it paid for the show: a rumored $2 million per episode. If you haven't watched the show yet and aren't sure what all the hoopla is about, you'll get your chance to stream it starting September 7th.
Mainstream news outlets heavily rely on user-generated content already, but in a bid to boost it even more, NBC has bought Stringwire, a social video streaming company that allows for real-time sharing of videos recorded with smartphones. NBC thinks it'll be the next generation of news coverage.
The folks at Bloomberg chatted with two sources said to be involved in some private talks that Twitter is undergoing with Viacom and NBCUniversal about offering their content on the microblogging service. The sources, who won't named, said that discussions with Viacom concern displaying TV show clips and ads, but the subject of its talks with NBCUniversal weren't specified.
After hosting The Tonight Show for 21 years, Jay Leno will be stepping down from the helm, and current Late Night host Jimmy Fallon will be taking his place at some point during the spring time next year. Leno became the host of The Tonight Show in 1992 after becoming a permanent guest host in 1987 when Johnny Carson held the lead position.
