Versant makes first purchase as its content leaves Peacock
Versant makes first purchase as its content leaves Peacock
Titles from Versant channels like MS NOW, Oxygen, and SyFy have been removed from Peacock, even as the channel owner makes its first deal on its own.
Versant is now officially a standalone entity, having separated from Comcast, and the cable channel company is now looking to establish its own identity. The company controls NBCUniversal networks CNBC, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Oxygen, and SyFy, and is free to pursue merger and acquisition opportunities. Versant has announced a new streaming acquisition even as fans of its programming have begun to note the disappearance of the shows and channels from former streaming partner Peacock.
Key Details:
- We’ll take it!: Versant has completed its acquisition of Free TV Networks.
- Serving a large audience: Free TV Networks offers both digital linear channels and FAST channels.
- So long!: On-demand content from Versant-owned channels is now leaving Peacock.
Versant announced via press release that it had made its first purchase, acquiring the company Free TV Networks. FTN is billed as a “leading provider of national premium free over-the-air digital broadcast networks (‘diginets’) and free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels.”
As part of the deal, FTN founder Jonathan Katz will become a Versant executive and will continue leading day-to-day operations for his former company. The purchase of FTN follows the acquisition of INDY Cinema Group by Versant, showing the company isn’t wasting any time as it tries to establish itself.
It’s been months since Comcast first decided to spin off the majority of its cable channels into a new company that would proceed independently of the rest of Comcast’s owned assets, such as its internet service and its streamer Peacock. On Jan. 5, the spinoff of Versant was completed, and the new firm has been busy making deals since.
There is one unfortunate aspect of the Versant spinoff that Peacock subscribers now have to grapple with: the loss of on-demand content sourced from Versant channels on Peacock. Titles from MS NOW, SyFy, and even replays of English Premier League games on USA Network are being removed from the streamer, and there’s no telling if they’ll return or if they’ll be licensed to another streaming platform in the future.
We at The Streamable will keep you apprised of any on-demand streaming deals Versant decides to pursue in the future. The company is clearly deal-minded, as its acquisition of Free TV Networks makes clear.
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