NBCUniversal is betting that viewers have a huge appetite for comedy, announcing plans Thursday morning to launch a subscription streaming service centered entirely on the genre.
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SeeSo, which will launch in beta this December and roll out wide in in January will leverage NBC’s extensive comedy library along with a stacked slate of “big niche” comedy originals. The streaming service will boast all 40 seasons of Saturday Night Live (including episodes that aired a day earlier on linear TV), The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Parks and Recreation, Late Night with Seth Meyers, 30 Rock, The Kids in the Hall, Saved by the Bell, and both the United Kingdom and USA versions of The Office. Shapiro joined NBCUniversal less than a year ago and is running its new “digital enterprises” unit, which may launch other themed subscription services down the line.
Seeso offers more than 20 original series, including ones from laff luminaries Dan Harmon and Wyatt Cenac, and Monty Python’s Flying Circus remastered in HD, along with all other Python programming. According to Variety, EVP of NBCU Digital Enterprises Evan Shapiro said the network will provide 10-15% of the service’s content for free to convince users to sign up for the $3.99-per-month platform.
NBCUniversal is launching an SVOD comedy network called Seeso, offering a mix of NBCU comedy series, standup, films and original productions. The service will available at seeso.com, mobiles devices and all major OTT platforms in Q1 2016, Shapiro said. Netflix, Amazon and Hulu continue to stand as the market’s biggest players, but a growing crop of challengers – from mass market offerings like Sling TV and CBS All Access to targeted services like CuriosityStream that offers nonfiction and factual content – are pushing into the space.
Television giant NBC is trying a bold experiment: Charging viewers, at a discount price, to watch comedy shows online. Also coming to SeeSo will be Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, a new series from executive producer Scott Aukerman spoofing real estate shows.
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SeeSo will also be streaming live comedy specials and stand-up specials starting in 2016.
