The streaming bundle wars are heating up, with Comcast announcing plans this week to create its own inexpensive streaming package called StreamSaver. This comes just days after Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to combine Disney+, Hulu, and the new Max service at a more affordable pricing.
Comcast’s StreamSaver, which will combine Peacock, Netflix, and Apple TV+, is expected to launch by the end of May, according to CEO Brian Roberts. The bundle will be available “at a deep discount” just to Comcast internet and TV subscribers, though particular pricing has yet to be announced.
“We’ve been bundling video successfully and creatively for 60 years, and so this is the latest iteration of that,” Roberts stated at the MoffettNathanson 2024 Media summit in New York. “I think this will be a pretty compelling package.”
The move follows the joint announcement by Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery of their Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle, which will arrive in the United States in early June at a discounted fee that has yet to be disclosed. The two media giants are also working with Fox on a streaming sports bundle that will include ESPN+ and traditional TV networks with the fall 2024 sports season.
With the major streaming players now pivoting to bundling strategies similar to traditional cable TV packaging, concerns are growing over whether promised consumer cost savings will materialize long-term.
At the moment, subscribing to the ad-supported Peacock, Netflix Basic, and Apple TV+ tiers would cost approximately $23 per month. Given current pricing, an ad-free package may cost around $40 per month.
While the streaming battles heat up, Comcast and its competitors are wagering that combining multiple services at an initial price will attract and retain more customers. However, customers have yet to see the long-term pricing dynamics and total value proposition.
NEWS SOURCE: tomsguide, variety
