Comcast-owned NBCUniversal is threatening to pull 46 TV Everywhere channels from Roku as early as this weekend, according to a report by Variety. The broadcaster is trying to force Roku to add Peacock to its platform, but Roku says that the distribution terms aren’t fair or equitable.
Peacock is NBC’s new streaming service—the only premium streaming service with an ad-supported Free tier. But NBCU doesn’t want to share any Peacock advertising revenue with Roku, which is why the companies are fighting.
Roku’s standard distribution terms require apps to pony up 30% of advertising revenue—although the company is offering to take a smaller cut from Peacock. In a statement with Variety, an NBCU representative comments that “Roku’s unreasonable demands ultimately hurt both their customers and their customer equipment partners.”
Again, NBCU is the one threatening to remove 46 TV Everywhere channels from Roku. That includes 11 network apps, 12 NBC station apps, and 23 Telemundo station apps. Of course, you can still access any NBCU channel through your cable or internet live TV provider’s Roku app. Maybe now’s the time to get familiar with the Comcast Xfinity, AT&T TV, Charter, Hulu+ Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo TV, or Sling TV app.
Peacock isn’t available on Roku or Amazon streaming devices, but you can download it now on Android TV, Apple TV, and most smart TVs. You can also watch Peacock through Chromecast and on most gaming consoles.
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Source: Roku and NBCU via Variety