Report: Paramount, Comcast in very early talks exploring combined streamer

Comcast and Paramount Global have reportedly held early talks about possibly combining their streaming services in the U.S.

Comcast, which owns Peacock through NBCUniversal, and Paramount+, currently both operate as separate brands with unique programming.

Executives at both companies have reportedly been having very early talks about the possibility of combining the streamers, according to Wall Street Journal sources.

There are also reportedly other options being bandied about.

Peacock currently has about 31 million paid subscribers as of late 2023, with Paramount+ coming in around 63.4 million in September 2023. 

If the two streamers were to combine, there would likely be at least some subscriber loss because of customers who carry subscriptions to both services or, if the price is raised, any subscribers who are price sensitive. 

Giant Netflix looms over those figures with over 80 million subscribers, with Disney+ a second in the U.S streaming market.

Because the talks are so early, it’s unlikely that any discussion on naming, pricing, potential revenue shares or subscription projections are available to announce. 

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Comcast and Paramount already have a joint venture in streaming known as SkyShowtime in parts of Europe.