The new service, called Seeso (pronounced “See So”), is an ad-free subscription channel that’s streamed over the internet to computers, iOS or Android phones and streaming boxes like Roku.
Advertisement
“This is a complement, not a replacement”, says executive VP Evan Shapiro.
Seeso is taking a page out of another streaming service’s playbook-Crackle-by using autoplay, so when a user signs in, there will already something playing.
The service, which will be available on seeso.com, ioS and Android devices and streaming video boxes such as Roku, was meant to be complementary to pay-TV packages and other streaming services, Shapiro said on Thursday.
NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises has unveiled streaming comedy channel Seeso. But he says he is really banking on new exclusive content, like a variety show featuring Amy Poehler and the rest of the Upright Citizens Brigade improv group, to keep subscribers around. Besides late night series Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers, library content includes 30 Rock and The Office, as well as movies that include The Big Lebowski and The Blues Brothers. “By focusing on a specific yet large niche, and providing a curated experience, we can help viewers find good stuff they might not or cannot find”.
Other original series include “HarmonQuest“, from Dan Harmon, the creator of the beloved comedy “Community“, and “Wyatt Cenac’s Night Train”. It will also show original series and daily stand-up specials including live comedy.
Beyond its originals, Seeso will curate an “artisanal selection” of great comedy, featuring for the first time ever on SVOD and exclusively on Seeso, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, remastered to HD for the first time, along with the Python films, and the complete collection of Python documentaries and specials. He said Seeso’s goal is “not to just protect our ecosystem, but to grow it”.
Advertisement
From what I understand, shows like “Office” and “P&R” will continue on places like Netflix and Hulu, a big reason why Seeso is creating so much original content. A version of the website is now live and will beta launch in December, with a full public launch set for January.
