StreamSaver: Everything we know about Comcast’s new Netflix, Apple TV+, and Peacock bundle
Bundles are back.
The latest offering is Comcast’s StreamSaver, a new bundle launching next week that includes Netflix, Apple TV+ and Peacock, NBC’s streaming platform.
The “great rebundling,” as it’s been dubbed, comes in response to the cord cutting trend that has seen millions of customers ditch the cable bundle to save money only to spend more on a host of streaming services. Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery are partnering for the own sports-centric streaming bundle called Venu, which is expected to launch in the fall.
“In recent years, streaming has gotten confusing and expensive as more services than ever are vying for eyeballs,” Jacob Stern wrote recently in The Atlantic. “It has done the impossible: made people miss the good old-fashioned cable bundle.”
Here’s all we know about StreamSaver:
When is StreamSaver launching?
Wednesday.
What will be included in StreamSaver?
StreamSaver will offer customers access to all the content on three streaming services: Netflix, Apple TV+ and Peacock, NBC’s streaming platform.
Customers will still need to download each stand-alone app to access their content.
What will be the price of StreamSaver?
StreamSaver will cost $15 a month.
Purchasing each service individually with their least-expensive offerings would cost $22.97 now, and that’s before Peacock’s ad-supported tier jumps to $7.99 a month in July. Apple TV+ currently runs $9.99 a month, while the ad-supported tier on Netflix is $6.99.
Do I have to be a Comcast customer to subscribe to StreamSaver?
Yes.
StreamSaver will be available to all Comcast broadband, TV, and mobile customers as an add-on.
Comcast lost about 487,000 TV subscribers during the first three months of this year, according to its first-quarter earning report. But perhaps more important to the company is retaining its broadband customers.
“The No. 1 focus without a doubt is growing broadband revenue,” Dave Watson, president and chief executive officer of Comcast Cable, said Tuesday at the J.P. Morgan Investor conference. He said StreamSaver was primarily for “broadband customers looking for simple, easy alternatives.”
StreamSaver will also be available to NOW TV customers for a total price of $30 a month. NOW includes over 40 live TV channels, including AMC, A&E, Hallmark, History Channel, Lifetime and WEtv, plus over two dozen integrated FAST channels like AccuWeather, NBC News, TODAY All Day and Xumo Movies.
Can I watch live sports on StreamSaver?
Yes, though only the sports programming that streams on any of the three platforms.
With Peacock, you can get the NFL’s Sunday Night Football package, the upcoming Belmont Stakes, NASCAR, Notre Dame football, Premiere League soccer and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Apple TV+ streams Friday Night Baseball games, but you’ll still have to pay extra to unlock the platform’s MLS Season Pass to watch pro soccer games.
Netflix will stream to NFL games next season – both on Christmas Day – as part of a new three-year deal with the league. Starting in January , the streamer will also be home to WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” and several other wrestling events, including WrestleMania.
Even though Comcast owns NBC, none of the regional sports networks will be available on StreamSaver.
Will Comcast offer more streaming bundles?
Now that Comcast has partnered with Netflix and Apple TV+, could customers see more streaming bundles in the future?
The company hasn’t announced anything beyond StreamSaver, but Watson said the new bundle “does open up possibilities down the road.”
“More to come,” Watson said.
How does StreamSaver compare to other bundles, like Venu?
Here’s a rundown of what we know about other streaming bundles either on the market or nearly their launch date:
1. Venu: A sports-focused streaming partnership between Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery that will allow you to stream programming from the following channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, Fox, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV, and ESPN+. Venu is expected to launch in the fall , but no starting price has been announced.
2. Disney+ bundles: Disney offers two main streaming bundles: Disney+ and Hulu ($9.99 a month with commercials and $19.99 without) and Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ ($14.99 a month with ads and $24.99 without).
3. AMC+: One you probably haven’t heard of, AMC+ bundles shows like “Interview with a Vampire” and “The Walking Dead” from AMC with content from the horror streamer Shutter.
It also features shows and movies from Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited.