NBCUniversal may launch its new OTT video service without carriage on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
NBCUniversal’s new streaming service launches on Wednesday and has yet to announce a deal with the two most popular streaming platforms. Just like HBO Max, which has been absent from Roku and Amazon for nearly two months, Peacock could launch without apps on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, which collectively represent 70% of the streaming player market and roughly 80 million monthly active users.
A lot has changed in the industry in the last decade, including Roku and Amazon becoming more aggressive in their negotiations with new streaming service, however, there’s something that has not changed. And that’s consumers will find a way to watch what they want, when and how they want it.
Consumers may cancel one subscription service in favor of another, they may turn to piracy, and they may just go out a by a new device, such as a Chromecast, that doesn’t restrict viewing options.
For example, to combat HBO Max not being “officially” available on Fire TV, Amazon users have figured out that they can sideload the app directly to their devices. Where there’s a will, there’s always a way.
This is the biggest story to follow this week. And I’m very curious to see how the EU rules on Apple’s ongoing antitrust investigations regarding the company’s App Store and Apple Pay practices because all of this is related.
Everything I preach at 43Twenty is about removing friction. Roku and Amazon not carrying the latest OTT services on their platform definitely create friction. The question then becomes are these services “must-haves” and how much does carrying them (or not) matter?
“When it comes to Peacock, we’ve got a very long-term strategy and vision for what we’re bringing to market,” said Matt Strauss, Peacock chairman. “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon for us.”
