Comcast handles its 'Tonight Show' viewing problem with new NBCU comedy SVOD service

At Comcast's fourth-quarter earnings call on Feb. 24, Steve Burke, CEO of the conglomerate's NBCUniversal division, said that as much as 70 percent of viewing for NBC's Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon is done digitally and goes unmonetized. 

"This isn't going to last forever," Burke told investors. "Measurement and monetization are only going to get better."

By "get better," Burke apparently meant to add "real soon." On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Comcast is looking to launch a new SVOD service, priced at around $2.50 - $3.50 a month, leveraging comedy programming assets like the Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live. Evan Shapiro, executive VP of digital enterprises for NBCU, will lead the SVOD initiative.

According to WSJ, the comedy service is among a range of a la carte SVOD products the conglomerate is considering, with linear viewing down by as much as 20 percent on NBCU-owned cable channels, as well. FierceOnlineVideo has a full report here.