NBCUniversal to Launch Nearly 50 Free Streaming Channels for ‘SNL,’ ‘Real Housewives,’ ‘Kardashians’ and More
NBCUniversal is cracking open its TV and movie archives to launch around four dozen free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels — significantly expanding its footprint in the free streaming space.
In July, the company said, it will launch the new portfolio of FAST linear channels, with content from across the NBCU Television & Streaming and the NBCUniversal Global Distribution library, on Amazon Freevee and Xumo Play (the streaming platform operated as a joint venture between Comcast and Charter).
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The lineup includes dedicated free streaming channels for “Saturday Night Live,” “The Real Housewives” franchises, “Top Chef” and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” along with Spanish-language entertainment and news from Telemundo including “Historias de Amor,” “Lo Mejor de Telemundo” and “Telemundo al Día.” NBCU’s FAST channels also include those for older TV series “Little House on the Prairie,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Saved by the Bell” and “The Lone Ranger,” plus genre-based channels for sitcoms, action, crime, Westerns and monster movies. (See list below.)
NBCU has inked agreements with Amazon Freevee and Xumo Play for the entire FAST content portfolio. Xumo Enterprise, the company’s business-to-business arm, will handle distribution of NBCU’s new FAST channels on third-party services (starting with Freevee).
The new FAST channels will join NBCU’s existing free linear services, including Dateline 24/7, NBC News Now, Today All Day, local NBC and Telemundo news stations, and Sky News International. The company’s Peacock subscription streaming service also includes FAST channels stocked with content from across NBCU.
The new channels feature “content from some of the most recognizable brands in television” and “will find an immediate audience in the growing FAST ecosystem, and create value for NBCUniversal, our distribution partners, and our advertisers,” Matt Schnaars, president of NBCUniversal Content Distribution, said in announcing the launch.
Here’s a list of some of NBCU’s upcoming entertainment, news, sports, and Spanish-language FAST channels:
Network Entertainment Channels
SNL Vault: Featuring sketches and clips from “Saturday Night Live”
E! Keeping Up: Dedicated to “the first family of reality TV,” the Kardashian/Jenners, featuring episodes of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and its spinoffs
Bravo Vault: Episodes of shows including “Shahs of Sunset” to “Flipping Out”
Million Dollar Listing Vault: Episodes from past seasons of “Million Dollar Listing” from L.A., New York, San Francisco and Miami
Oxygen True Crime Archives
Real Housewives Vault
Top Chef Vault
News
American Crimes: Featuring episodes of series “American Greed” and “Lockup”
Sports
GolfPass: Thousands of lessons, exclusive series, Golf Channel news and features, and more
NBC Sports: Episodes from talk programs including “Premier League Stories” and “The Dan Patrick Show”
Telemundo
Historias de Amor
Lo Mejor de Telemundo
Noticias Telemundo Ahora: 24-7 Spanish-language news channel
Telemundo al Día: Content includes shows like “Al Rojo Vivo,” “La Mesa Caliente” and “Telemundo Deportes”
Entertainment Discovery & Fandom Channels
Rotten Tomatoes: Featuring takes on favorite TV and movie scenes, previews of blockbusters and weekly content highlights
Global Distribution Studio Entertainment Channels
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Episodes of the Emmy-winning mystery anthology series created by the legendary director
Bad Girls Club: Watch as seven “outrageously bold, brazenly misbehaved women attempt to transform their reckless ways”
Lassie: Join Lassie, the Martin family’s beloved canine, and her human animal companions as they embark on adventures
Little House on the Prairie: Set in the late 1800s, the Ingalls family pack up their belongings and venture out West in search of a new life. Starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert
Made in Chelsea: Follow eight high-society friends who live in London’s most affluent neighborhoods
Murder, She Wrote: Mystery writer Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) solves crimes in this Emmy-winning drama
Saved by the Bell: Follow the kids from their time at Bayside High, to post-graduation in “The College Years” and later with the next generation in “The New Class”
TNBC: Featuring sitcoms from Teen NBC including “Punky Brewster,” “City Guys,” “Hang Time” and “Major Dad”
The Lone Ranger: The masked cowboy and his trusty accomplice Tonto fight for justice in the Wild West
Universal Action: Featuring shows including “Magnum P.I.,” “Knight Rider” and “The A-Team”
Universal Crime: TV shows including “Columbo,” “Kojak” and “The Rockford Files”
Universal Westerns: Classic tales “of heroism and family adventure set against scenic frontier backdrops,” such as “The Virginian” and “Tales of Wells Fargo”
Universal Monsters: Movie titles such as “Frankenstein,” “Dracula” and “The Wolf Man”
Pictured above (l. to r.): Molly Shannon with Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas on “Saturday Night Live” Season 48
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