In this week's collection of recent cord-cutting news items from around the web: Peacock hit 33 million signups, how kids television became the most heated front in the streaming wars, Plex launches a subscription-based retro game streaming service, the best streaming stick for ~$50, WWE shutting down its streaming service and moving content to Peacock, and more!
Peacock hit 33 million signups before The Office even arrived
"NBC Universal's Peacock streaming service hit 33 million signups in the fourth quarter, parent company Comcast reported Thursday, an addition of 11 million signups from the third quarter,"according to The Verge. "It's still early to tell whether having The Office on Peacock will deliver a surge of new subscribers, since it only became exclusive as of January 1st. Peacock launched in July and is already on par with other, newer streamers like HBO Max, which had almost 40 million subscribers as of the most recent quarter and launched around the same time as Peacock. Disney Plus, which is about a year old, has 86 million subscribers. Since Peacock has a free tier, however, there’s no way to tell how many of the 33 million signups are paying subscribers or will be converted to paid subscribers."
How Kids Television Became the Most Heated Front in the Streaming Wars
"Hollywood's demand for streaming content is putting kids media creators and producers squarely at the adults' table," says Variety. "While new programming aimed at adults tends to get the lion’s share of publicity from the streaming world, executives behind the scenes readily acknowledge that movies from Martin Scorsese, a new cut of 'Justice League' or a new series from Shonda Rhimes can only go so far to keep viewers from 'churning,' or canceling their subscriptions. These executives say properties aimed at kids, young adults and families tend to create the sorts of lasting relationships that keep subscriber money coming in every month."
Plex launches a subscription-based retro game streaming service
"Plex, the media software maker that's expanded into streaming in recent years, is adding to its service once again with today’s launch of game streaming," reports TechCrunch. "Unlike other game streaming efforts from companies like Microsoft or Google, the new 'Plex Arcade' isn't focused on top gaming titles and new releases, but rather on retro games. At launch, the service is offering around 30 games, including titles like Asteroids, Centipede, Missile Command, Adventure and Ninja Golf."
Chromecast, Fire TV Stick, or Roku: What's the best streaming stick for ~$50?
Ars Technica has tested "the three premier $50 streaming sticks head-to-head to see which is best" and delivers a detailed review of each. Their results? "Google's 2020 Chromecast with Google TV is the best streaming stick you can get for $50... Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K has the benefit of being on the market longer and having more time to develop... The Roku Streaming Stick+ doesn't suffer as much from a biased user interface as the Fire TV Stick 4K, but that's still partly due to a lackluster user interface. It's not built to browse—or at least not very well."
WWE to Shutter Streaming Service, Move Content to Peacock in New Deal
"Beginning Thursday, March 18, WWE Network will exclusively be available via NBCUniversal’s streaming service," reports Yahoo Entertainment. "More than 17,000 hours of new, original and library content will roll out on Peacock, available both on demand and on a 24/7 channel. The offerings include all live pay-per-view events such as WrestleMania and SummerSlam; up first is Fastlane, which will stream on Sunday, March 21. Other content includes original programs like the Steve Austin talk show Broken Skull Sessions and the docuseries Undertaker: The Last Ride, as well as in-ring shows, WWE Network archives and documentaries."
Our favorite Netflix rival is releasing 44 new movies in February – and they all stream free
BGR says that "[a]ny Netflix subscriber who has scrolled through Netflix's February 2021 releases list will tell you that next month is a fantastic month… to spend some time checking out other streaming platforms." BGR's favorite is Tubi, which "is growing in popularity each and every month thanks to an ever-expanding content library that is now home to more than 30,000 titles... In February, Tubi is adding another 44 movies and series to its arsenal, and there are definitely some fan favorites to look forward to. Highlights include Layer Cake, American Hustle, the criminally underrated Road To Perdition that features Tom Hanks leading an all-star cast, Biutiful, My Girl, Across the Universe, Romeo & Juliet, and more." A full list of Tubi's February releases can be found at the preceding link.
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