This year will bring with it two new streaming platforms. On the heels of the launch of Disney+ and Apple TV+, two heavyweights will enter the streaming wars this year as NBC Universal and WarnerMedia join the fight.
It may seem that every media company has their hand in your pocket trying to capture a share of the streaming pie, but this year’s offerings perhaps will bring you some relief from the continuous “stream” of monthly credit card charges.
Peacock
Taking a page from traditional television, Peacock will be a free streaming. How they can afford this may be good or bad news to you – this platform is being supported by ads and commercials.
Peacock will have three options:
- Peacock Basic: Free, ad-supported content (15,000 hours of content)
- Peacock Premium: $4.99/month, limited ads
- Peacock Premium Plus: $9.99/month, ad-free
While Comcast customers will see an initial version rolled out on April 15, the rest of us will have access starting July 15. This, not at all coincidentally, corresponds with the Tokyo Summer Olympics (July 24 – August 4).
Peacock will include a “live broadcast” element that will offer live sports and news on a daily basis. This, NBC hopes, should help Peacock gain a foothold into the streaming market as many Olympic events will be viewable only on an extended video delay as Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of the Eastern time zone.
In addition to offering live sports, Peacock offers additional live programming including News and perhaps late-night programming.
Peacock will comprise two products: Peacock Free and Peacock Premium.
While there will be Peacock programming originals (including a new Battlestar Galactica and Tina Fey’s Girls5Eva) additional highlights of available content includes all episodes of Law & Order and Chicago franchises, Cheers, Frasier, Two and a Half Men, House, Saturday Night Live, The Office (coming in 2021), Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, Downton Abbey and Will & Grace.
HBO Max
WarnerMedia's new streaming service, HBO Max, premiers this May. It’s pricey at $14.99/month but will offer everything you’re receiving on HBO Now currently for $10/month and add the following content:
- Friends
- The Big Bang Theory
- The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
- The West Wing
- South Park
- Rick and Morty
- Doctor Who (new series)
Not insignificantly, one of Netflix’s most popular shows, Friends, finds a new home at HBO Max.
Let’s not forget the immense library of HBO shows that will also be available including Game of Thrones, Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep, etc.
If you’re an AT&T customer who already subscribes to HBO, you will get a free HBO Max subscription.
Thankfully, these streaming services will work seamlessly with your FairlawnGig subscription – with zero lag time and rapid download speeds!
