NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell Feels Stream Is ‘Not Remotely Close To Peak Content’ Praises Disney’s Move To Run ‘Doctor Strange 2’ To Disney+ After Just 47 Days

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shelley thinks the streaming boom is just beginning and “likes” adjusting movie viewing windows to create greater efficiency and better choice for users.

Shell addressed several issues in a virtual speech at Credit Suisse’s 24th Annual Communications Conference. The mostly 2-year-old stream from the NBCU’s Peacock service took most of the session. In its most recent quarterly report, NBCU parent Comcast said Peacock has 28 million monthly active users and 13 million paying subscribers.

Moderator Doug Mitchelson, a media analyst at Credit Suisse, questioned whether a pullback in content production or spending is warranted given the shortcomings in the streaming industry.

“This is a great discussion: Are we on top of the content? “On the one hand, I don’t think we’ve reached the top,” Shell said. “I think a lot of viewers like a lot of different things. I think everything will just keep falling apart. The truth is, I don’t think we’re too far from the top of the industry until you’ve sold to your entire audience and enjoyed your content.

He added that the top priority is to “find the right distribution strategy for a piece of content that maximizes its chances of becoming a hit.” For something to be a hit, whether it’s a movie or a TV show, it has to not only be great, but also be a big seller. But for people to find, discover and follow you, you need the right distribution platform. ”

Comcast recently launched a new focus on Peacock Premium after focusing on its ad-supported free service tier at an early stage. According to an estimate from the parent company, Peacock’s programming cost will double by 2022 to around $3 billion.

While having streaming content is an important goal at Peacock, “ironically, we’re selling to third parties more than ever before,” said Shell. The company’s willingness to sell content to third parties is based on the expectation that these deals will allow programs to return to Peacock and strengthen its library. According to him, there is a visible example. tricks, its second season aired this year on HBO Max. “We didn’t think it was a good fit for our platform since it’s actually on a premium platform and not ad-supported,” Shell said.

When asked by Mitchelson about his audience habit on Peacock, Shell described the news as “an unknown character on our platform”. One of the free ad-supported offerings that stream 24/7 is NBC News Now. “People see more news,” Shell said. “They don’t come to get news. News is not a big subscriber driver for Peacock. But the power of NBC News when you’ve just seen the episode air cap And you’re on the platform, and we’re bringing you the “Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Get The Last Trial” promotion that will get you down the NBC News rabbit hole. Many people enjoy it. ”

Regarding Universal Pictures and the entire theatrical industry, Shell said it had long believed it was “anti-consumption” since it launched windows in the years before the pandemic.

“I love what has happened in the last two years,” he said. “The whole business has reached a new water level.” The value of movie streaming services has been more widely recognized (reflected in WarnerMedia’s decision to simultaneously release the entire Warner Bros. slideshow in theaters on HBO Max, Shell says). In addition to the day and date, there was a growing desire to transcend the long-held real limitations of traditional launch patterns. “It took some rubble to do this, but we went elsewhere,” Shell said, possibly as a sign of a Universal strike. Trolls: World Tour Demand for premium video instead of cinemas as Covid destroyed cinemas in 2020.

When asked if there was a consensus on the best launch approach, Shell said, “I don’t think a specific model has been decided yet.” He brought Dr. Strange in many worlds of madnessIt will begin streaming for free to Disney+ subscribers on June 22, approaching $1 billion at the worldwide box office, but just 47 days after the theatrical store. “It was unheard of three years ago,” Shelley wondered. “’We never changed windows, did we?’ said Disney.

As for the progress Universal has made, he said, “It’s important to accelerate what we’re doing in the home entertainment window, especially with PVOD.” Looking forward, he continued, broadcasts “will be commissioned further depending on the studio and the film. Older adult movies that are harder to get at the box office may make their way to required platforms sooner, while larger family movies with this PVOD potential may take some time to arrive on streaming platforms. “Over the next few years, a lot will go away until we find the right economic equation, and it will be different in every market.”