Comcast Will Offer a Streaming Bundle, Reports Say. It's Another Step Back Toward Cable. -- Barrons.com

Dow Jones05-15

By Emily Dattilo

Comcast will soon join the parade of companies bundling their streaming services together, according to multiple reports. That is more evidence that the television business is on the road to offering something that looks a lot like cable.

Comcast's new bundle, StreamSaver, will contain Peacock, Netflix, and Apple TV+ and will be exclusively available to customers of Comcast's internet service, Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts said at a MoffettNathanson investor conference on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported. The company plans to announce pricing and other details next week, according to a person familiar with the matter, and the bundle is expected to debut by the end of the month, the Journal said.

Comcast didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The company certainly isn't the first to piece together a few entertainment offerings. This month, Walt Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery said they would offer a bundle that includes Disney+, Hulu, and Warner's Max services. It will be available this summer.

In Tuesday trading, Comcast and Netflix shares were flat, Apple climbed 0.3%, Disney slipped 0.5%, and Warner Bros. gained 3%.

When streaming was in the early stages, platforms tailored their content to smaller audiences and kept subscription prices low to snap up subscribers. However, as the market matured, those monthly charges rose, consumers became more hesitant to pay up, and entertainment companies began packaging content from various places to retain subscribers.

Funnily enough, that strategy looks a bit like one we've seen before. In the heyday of cable television, viewers could change channels seamlessly, switching from a football game to a talk show to a sitcom with a click of the remote. All that was included for a single fee.

Write to Emily Dattilo at emily.dattilo@dowjones.com

This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 14, 2024 12:34 ET (16:34 GMT)

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Comcast Will Offer a Streaming Bundle, Reports Say. It's Another Step Back Toward Cable. -- Barrons.com

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