NBCUniversal recently revealed their strategy for their new streaming platform called Peacock. The platform, meant to compete with Disney+, Apple, and HBO Max, will launch in April 2020.
According to the NBCUniversal press release this morning, Peacock will feature 15,000 hours of content upon its launch next year, featuring popular shows from the NBC library as well as original exclusive content. Peacock will be the exclusive home for streaming The Office and Parks and Recreation, hence the recent announcement that Netflix will no longer host The Office on its platform. Peacock will also provide new content to draw new customers to its platform, including new takes on Battlestar Galactica, Saved by the Bell, and Punky Brewster. Feature films from Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation will be available on Peacock as well, though access to these films will be non-exclusive.
However, NBCUniversal’s primary selling point for Peacock is the platform’s access to the 2020 Olympics coverage. “That will be our takeoff point, that’s where our marketing is going to fly,” stated direct-to-consumer chairman Bonnie Hammer in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Nobody has [the Olympics] but NBCU and Peacock.” Hammer also mentions that Peacock will provide coverage of the 2020 election, emphasizing that live and current events will be a focus for the new platform.
In her interview, Hammer also promises that Peacock will offer “something for everyone.” The release from NBCUniversal covers a wide range of content that will be available on Peacock, including original dramas, comedies, unscripted content, films, and Telemundo content. In addition to The Office and Parks and Recreation, some of the library titles that will be available on Peacock include 30 Rock, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Cheers, Frasier, Will & Grace, Everyone Loves Raymond, Friday Night Lights, House, Downton Abbey, Saturday Night Live, and Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Peacock will launch in April of 2020; details on pricing and distribution have not yet been announced.