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According to The Verge, NBCUniversal could save movies for Peacock instead of being on Netflix or HBO. The idea is being thought over whether to remove its films from HBO Max and Netflix and put new movies on its on Peacock.
Bloomberg originally reported the news about NBCUniversal’s idea. As of now, HBO Max has a deal to show Universal Pictures movies about nine months after the original theatrical release. In addition, Netflix has a deal to show movies from Illumination Entertainment.
However, both deals will end at the end of this year so NBCUniversal has a decision to make. NBCUniversal who is owned by Comcast seems to be taking its time to make a decision as they haven’t made one yet.
Granted the end of the year is months away, but that can sneak up really quickly. The company has to make a decision whether or not they want to pull their movies or not. Execs at the company are allegedly “open” to making new licensing deals with other companies.
As a result, the movies could be exclusive to Peacock. However, they could end up on HBO Max or on Netflix. The streaming wars are confusing and will get more confusing with this decision in the air. NBCUniversal’s consideration to pull its movies away from HBO Max and Netflix put the landscape into a flux.
NBCUniversal could save movies for Peacock. Making picking a streaming service more difficult
At this point, consumers will not know where their favorite movies may appear. NBCUniversal has so many solid franchises under its umbrella. The Fast & Furious franchise and How To Train Your Dragon franchise are both big hitters.
If the company pulls their own movies to put on Peacock it could help boost their subscribers. The move requires some corporate synergy but it would undoubtedly boost Peacock’s value. However, the company can pocket additional revenue from the licensing deals with HBO Max and Netflix.
That revenue from the two companies is long-term recurring revenue. This is not the first time NBCUniversal has been willing to pull its content. The Office is now solely exclusive to Peacock. The show was originally on Netflix, but not anymore.
The decision is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, NBCUniversal can use its exclusive content to poach consumers from other streaming services. However, Peacock is still new to the streaming wars. Consumers have a lot of choices to choose from when it comes to streaming. Consumers can go with Hulu, HBO Max, Netflix, YouTube TV, Tubi, and much more.
If NBCUniversal decides to pull its exclusives it will have to be sure the move will not hurt its streaming service. HBO Max and Netflix are big boys in the game and have plenty of content to show. As a result, they may be okay if they lose some content.