Cyrus Langhorne
Digital streaming giant Netflix isn't playing around. The online entertainment platform is ready to go face-to-face with competition ranging from Amazing Prime to Hulu and Disney's upcoming premium service.
According to reports, Netflix has secured the rights to stream iconic 90’s sitcom “Seinfeld” in 2021 once the show’s contract ends with Hulu.
Variety has confirmed that the streaming giant has landed the global streaming rights to all 180 episodes the genre-defining sitcom. The deal was struck with Sony Pictures Television, which controls the distribution rights to the NBC series. It is a five-year deal which is set to begin in 2021. Hulu currently controls the domestic streaming rights to “Seinfeld,” with that deal set to expire in 2021. Amazon distributes the series internationally. When the Hulu deal was first reported in 2015, it was estimated the streamer was paying roughly $875,000 per episode for the series, or $160 million annually. (Variety)
TV network BET’s upcoming premium service will premiere in this week priced just under $10.
BET Plus, a joint venture between Viacom’s BET Networks and Tyler Perry Studios, will launch domestically on Thursday, Sept. 19. The ad-free subscription video-on-demand service, priced at $9.99 a month, will kick off with more than 1,000 hours of shows, movies and stand-up specials, including content from Tyler Perry, Tracy Oliver, Will Packer and other African American content creators. (Variety)
A BET Networks executive recently confirmed the huge launch plans and what subscribers should expect.
“We are thrilled to offer a streaming experience of content curated for the underserved African American audience with BET [Plus],” said BET Networks president Scott Mills. “African Americans have a higher SVOD adoption rate than any other consumer base on the market, which is why BET [Plus] is a natural complement of BET’s linear network, which has been and continues to be the leading home of black culture for decades.” (Statement)
According to reports, a highly-anticipated Disney Plus service is set to offer a bundled pack including ESPN Plus and Hulu for $12.99/month.
The bundle of Disney direct-to-consumer properties will be available for purchase on Nov. 12, the day that the ambitious Disney Plus service is set to bow. Disney chief Bob Iger revealed the plan for the bundle during Disney’s quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts. Disney’s fiscal second quarter numbers came in below expectations, a shortfall Disney chalked up to lower than expected performances by key divisions of 21st Century Fox, which Disney formally acquired in March. “Nothing is more important to us than getting this right,” Iger said of Disney’s aggressive move into direct-to-consumer streaming. (Variety)
Coincidentally, Netflix’s Standard Plan comes packaged at $12.99 a month.
- Basic. The Basic streaming plan costs $8.99 per month and has the most limited features. You can only use it on a single screen at a time (which is fine if you’re the only user of the account), and resolution is limited to standard definition (SD), which is equivalent to old, pre-HD television.
- Standard. The Standard streaming plan costs $12.99 per month and allows you two watch on two screens at a time in high definition (HD).
- Premium. The Premium streaming plan costs $15.99 per month. For that, you can watch on four screens at once (ideal for a large family), and you can video programming in HD or 4K Ultra HD, if available.
