NINE ENTERTAINMENT now has two competing streaming services with the announcement of a new content deal for 9Now that will turn the former catch-up service into a serious streaming alternative.
The new multi-year deal with NBCUniversal will see 9Now dramatically expand its library with content not shown on its broadcast services including unscripted reality from E! and Bravo as well as hours of scripted comedy and drama.
9Now has 100% penetration and is accessed by millions of Australians every month and consumers will notice a significant difference as the broadcast video on demand (BVOD) service morphs from a catch-up service to a free alternative to Netflix, Disney+ and its own streamer Stan.
Nine CEO Hugh Marks says 9Now is offering a premium video product;
“Traditionally, platforms like 9Now have been focused on being largely a reflection of our linear channels. This deal with NBCU sees 9Now firmly beyond being a ‘catch up service’ and instead become an entertainment destination in its own right.
Over the past four years, we have established 9Now as the leading commercial broadcast video on demand platform in Australia, but this deal with NBCU helps us not only ensure the consistency of 9Now audience throughout the year, it also helps us better compete with the digital giants with a premium video product, which is unmatched in this market.”
TV Blackbox understands the window for existing exclusive content (including Keeping up with the Kardashians) will shrink dramatically from a typical window of two years to 6-12 months.
As part of the deal, which also includes films, Nine Entertainment will obtain the broadcast and streaming rights to all new programs from suppliers including Bravo. Current ‘life of series’ deals are excluded from the arrangement.
The deal also allows Nine to pick around 3 scripted programs per year that will be exclusive. With the Australian rights in place Nine will then be able to decide whether those programs will air on Channel 9, 9Now or Stan.
And this is where it gets interesting.
Nine has been at the forefront of streaming ever since it launched Stan in 2015, long before the glut of streaming services that have since entered the market. During that time, Stan has proven to be a popular alternative to Netflix with 1.5 million subscribers.
The changes to 9Now’s business model could prove detrimental to Stan but insiders believe both can remain strong by offering distinct points of difference. 9Now will remain a free service, supported by advertisers, while Stan will continue to be ad-free.
What makes this announcement even more interesting is the decision to expand 9Now and not do the deal for Stan as titles such as The Real Housewives, Keeping up the the Kardashians, Botched, Below Deck and Million Dollar Listing New York are all good titles that can be used to promote the Stan brand.
Having said that there’s no doubt this is a win for viewers with 9Now upping its game in the free BVOD market.
Also, according to Nine;
“Nine will also remain the free to air home of brand-new and classic feature films from Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation, giving audiences access to key titles in hit franchises such as Bourne, The Fast and the Furious, Back to the Future and Shrek, as well as new movies including Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Yesterday and Downton Abbey.”
The new slate of programming will be available to stream or watch on Nine and 9Now from December 1.
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These NBCU deals with Foxtel and now nine/stan seems to continue the bad news for fetch tv. I just read a comment on another tv site backed up by a screenshot of the conversation that syfy appears to be gone too by the end of the year (would really like some verification on that) on top of 13th street and style. Universal channel already lost first run Chicago pd. Seems like these new deals will further limit universal channel first run content for fetch viewers when Foxtel can put it on their exclusive channels and nine has the option which they will more likely take put it on stan. So universal channel is likely going to turn into a rerun only channel. First run US drama was low on fetch now its going to be pretty much non existant. Not sure how long fetch can work on its current model of non exclusive content and keep subscibers if other players are going to tie it up in exclusivity.
Its official syfy is gone too.