Consumers are several years into the Streaming Era, and it’s been quite a while since the last A+, can’t-miss streaming bundle came around. With all the great streaming services to subscribe to, it’s somewhat surprising that bundle deals have been a relative rarity, but on the heels of the news that Disney+, Hulu and Max are combining forces for a new promotion, it’s been revealed that a new Netflix-centric bundle is coming very soon, though I’m keeping my excitement somewhat limited for the moment.
What Services Are Invovled With The New Streaming Bundle?
The latest bundle deal to hit the market will be called StreamSaver, with Comcast serving as the communications giant behind the plan. As revealed at MoffettNathanson’s 2024 Media, Internet and Communications Conference in NYC (via Variety). As it currently stands, the discounted bundle will group Netflix subscriptions up with Apple TV+, and Peacock plans.
Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts says that the deal is being utilized as a way to “add value to customers” in a way that attempts to keep them from spending money with other services. What’s more, he claims that the trifecta of streamers will be offered at a “vastly reduced price” compared to anything else currently on the market.
Perhaps understating things, Roberts described the deal as such:
This will be a pretty compelling package.
Roberts did not reveal what the actual pricing will be for the bundle, and also didn’t divulge exactly when it will be available. That said, he did indicate that it will be available before the end of May 2024, so customers won’t have too long to wait. (Speaking of, check out the best streaming service deals for May 2024.)
Why I'm Hesitant About Celebrating StreamSaver Too Soon
The giant tech-centric elephant in the room here is that Comcast doesn't exactly have a spotless track record when it comes to introducing new ideas that are met with universal support and customer goodwill. Rather, the company has long been met with consumer complaints about pricing, customer service, data service and more. Seemingly fewer incidents have come up in recent years, at least when compared to the initial stages of cord-cutting shifts, but still.
While I can't speak to exactly how long this streaming bundle was being worked on behind the scenes, I'm always wary whenever a major conglomerate announces a huge plan like this seemingly out of the blue, and also seemingly as a direct bit of competition with another company, which in this case would be the Disney-fronted bundle. It's certainly possible that this has been in the works for ages, and that it'll be handled as smoothly as can be, but my suspicions are still raised about the timing.
Another potentially worrisome issue is that the bundle is being touted as cheaper than all other sources, but without any actual numbers or early pricing estimations to back that up. If this will actually be available for customers to sign up for in the next two weeks, locking down pricing probably should have been prioritized for the big announcement.
I'd feel better if Brian Roberts talked about how this was being tested in markets all over the country without issue. But since that wasn't the case, I'm also curious to see how well the bundle works from a tech standpoint, in terms of a smooth launch without anyone dealing with lagging and service interruptions due to overloaded servers.
Why The StreamSaver Bundle Could Be Big For Peacock Subscribers
For those who already have Peacock subscriptions, the new deal probably sounds like a fantastic option, considering the service will be raising its prices ahead of NBCUniversal’s 2024 Summer Olympics coverage (marking the second hike in two years). As announced in late April, the parent company will be increasing its Peacock Premium with Ads plan by $2 to $7.99 monthly, while the mostly ad-free plan will also get a two-dollar spike to $13.99.
Both annual plans are going up as well, with the Premium plan jumping from $59.99 to $79.99, while the Premium plus plan is rising from $119.99 to $139.99. As of this time, those price changes are set for July 18.
So if Comcast’s new plan really is going to be cheaper than all the competition, it will likely be an ideal alternative once Peacock spikes its subscription fees anew. But I’ll likely sit back and wait to see what the general consensus is before I start throwing my own money at it.
While waiting to see how things shake out, check out all the shows coming soon to the 2024 TV schedule, and check out the upcoming movies and TV shows hitting Netflix in the near future.
