NBCU Sets ‘Seeso’ Comedy Subscription VOD Channel Launch

NBCUniversal announced plans to launch Seeso, a $3.99-per-month over-the-top subscription channel stocked with episodes and clips from the Peacock’s top shows and other sources including “Saturday Night Live,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Office” and “Monty Python’s Flying Circus.”

In addition to licensed TV shows, Seeso includes a healthy slate of original series and aims to eventually stream live comedy specials. NBCU will launch the service in private beta in December, with public launch set for January.

“The big niche we’re focusing on is comedy,” Evan Shapiro, executive VP of NBCU Digital Enterprises, said at a press event in New York. “It’s the most popular genre out there by a long stretch, by a Secretariat stretch.”

Shapiro emphasized that ad-free Seeso service isn’t designed to go head-to-head with the three major subscription VOD services — Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. He said the big SVOD players act like the broadcast networks “around 1978” in providing “all things (to) all people.”

“This is a complement, not a replacement” for general-interest SVOD services, said Shapiro.

Content in Seeso will include all 40 years of “SNL,” including day-after-air episodes; “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”; “Late Night with Seth Meyers”; “Parks and Recreation”; “30 Rock”; both the U.K. and U.S. versions of “The Office”; “The Kids in the Hall”; and “Saved by the Bell.”

Original series are set to include “The UCB Show” featuring Amy Poehler; an animated series from “Community” creator Dan Harmon, dubbed “Harmonquest”; and a new show from Wyatt Cenac (“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”). Seeso expects to produce about 20 original series in the first year of operation, Shapiro said.

In addition, the service will include daily standup specials and 3-5 movies per month, with titles to include “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” Seeso also will stream live comedy specials down the line, according to Shapiro.

The service will available at seeso.com, mobiles devices and all major OTT platforms in Q1 2016, Shapiro said. NBCU Digital Enterprises also is in talks with pay-TV providers about offering Seeso as an add-on digital offering to their customers, he added.

About 10%-15% of Seeso’s content will be available for free to anyone, as an enticement to sign up for the subscription service, Shapiro said.

The Seeso launch event was held at NBCU Digital Enterprises’ office space in SoHo. Shapiro, former head of Pivot Television, said NBCU Digital Enterprises — which he described as a startup within Comcast/NBCU — has about 10 employees in NYC, with another 10 in L.A.

The group’s recent hires include Patricia Parra Hadden, ex-CMO of Shazam Entertainment and former Hulu marketing exec, as head of marketing, and Ben McLean, previously in charge of business affairs for Xbox Entertainment Studios and Pivot TV, who leads business affairs.

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