Latest news with #MediaCompanies
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Peacock increases subscription price by $3 a month
NBCUniversal's Peacock is rolling out a $3-a-month price hike for most streaming customers. Beginning July 23, Peacock Premium will cost $10.99 a month, up from the current $7.99 fee, the company announced Thursday. The Premium Plus option will jump to $16.99 a month, up from $13.99. Customers can pay $109.99 for an annual plan of Peacock Premium or $169.99 a year for its Premium Plus option. Peacock is not the first streaming service to raise its fees as the cost of sports and other programming escalates. Netflix raised its price on most plans in January, with its commercial-free standard plan increasing $2.50 a month to $17.99. Read more: Who will win the streaming wars? Media companies have been ratcheting up the fees as they struggle to transition from highly profitable but declining business models, including a heavy reliance on pay-TV distribution fees. This spring, the share of viewers watching programs on streaming services eclipsed viewership of linear channels as traditional television companies increasingly focus on their streaming products. Read more: People said it was too hard to cancel Peacock. Now NBCUniversal must pay $3.6 million Comcast-owned NBCUniversal has lost billions of dollars building its Peacock streaming service, which launched five years ago. The payoff remains elusive as the service lags Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and others in terms of subscriber counts and audience share. Depending on billing cycles, some current Peacock subscribers will see the increases in their bills around Aug. 22. NBCUniversal said it would test a new Peacock 'Select' tier, which will feature current seasons of NBC and Bravo shows and library titles for the former Peacock Premium price of $7.99 a month or $79.99 a year. Read more: The cheap streaming era is over. Here's why your bills are going up The company touted its programming including "Love Island USA." In the television season that begins in September, Peacock will have "Sunday Night Football," NBA, WNBA, Premier League, Big Ten and the FIFA World Cup soccer championships in Spanish. It will also broadcast the Super Bowl and Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics in February 2026. Surges in pricing come as consumers have faced several years of inflation and economic uncertainty. People who ditched their pricey cable bundles in favor of cheaper streaming services have found their total monthly subscriptions can add up quickly. Staff writer Wendy Lee contributed to this report. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Solve the daily Crossword
Bloomberg
13-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Mergers, Breakups, and the Battle for Content
Media companies are constantly merging and splitting in response to tech entrants into the space, shifting market demands, and investor pressure, but the results often leave shareholders underwhelmed. Mark Patricof calls this 'a cycle that seems to happen over and over again. And people don't really learn their lessons." Amid corporate reshuffling, one truth remains: content is king—and it's the creative talent behind it that ultimately drives long-term value. (Source: Bloomberg)
Wall Street Journal
12-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Tariffs Are Crashing TV's Annual ‘Upfront' Ad-Sales Party
Television's glitzy advertising-sales extravaganza is kicking into high gear this week, with media companies wooing brands to spend billions on their TV networks and streaming platforms. But there is a plot twist. As the waitstaff prepare to serve signature cocktails and enough canapés to feed a small nation, tariffs have arrived as an unwelcome party crasher.
