In the ever growing field of streaming services, NBC is launching a comedy channel called Seeso. According to the Las Vegas Sun, the executive VP of NBC’s digital enterprises, Evan Shapiro, thinks we all need to laugh more. Shapiro promises the brand new offering will serve you a dose of comedy in record time to get you laughing faster. With so many options in the market, many providers have begun to go after niche sections.
Unlike some channels that show the same content online as they do on the station, Seeso is supposed to be different. They are starting with 2,500 hours of content and 20 original series, built on a new platform. Of course, they will still have old standby favorites as well like 30 rock, Fawlty Towers, and Saved by the Bell. In addition to those, they will offer the 40+ years of Saturday Night Live, and Monty Python collections.
Seeso launches on January 7th, 2016, will be ad-free, and will cost $3.99 a month. What we find interesting is the cost of the service. Using the figures that the head of CBS used last month, the value of ad-free viewing is $4 a month. If we are to believe that figure, the service is essentially free. Though NBC certainly has the money to support this venture, you have to wonder how long the price will stay at that rate.
Will Seeso stand the test of time? They certainly has the capital and intellectual property to keep it afloat. At a point in time when the world is in constant chaos, the role of comedy becomes extremely important. Though it may not help you live longer, it certainly can make life more enjoyable. If they can deliver on their promises, the Comcast empire could change the game, just like Google did by offering gigabytes of storage for email.
