NBC’s Peacock streaming service will have live video, tiered pricing

By Nick Perry December 20, 2019

There is no shortage of streaming services on the market as media companies seek to adapt to the cord-cutting revolution. This is likely why NBCUniversal’s upcoming, still secretive Peacock streaming service is trying to differentiate itself from other services like Netflix, Disney+ or HBO Max with a couple of innovative solutions: Live video and tiered pricing.

According to a CNBC report, when first logging into Peacock, users will be greeted by streaming content, just like turning on traditional television. The showcased video may be live news from NBC News Now, NBC’s streaming news service that will be integrated with Peacock, or an on-demand show. According to the report, different versions of Peacock are still being tested to determine what works best. Peacock isn’t expected to include 2020 Olympics coverage or NBC broadcast content, so it seems likely that sports content will not be supported by live streaming on Peacock.

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NBCUniversal also wants to make Peacock stand out from the competition by offering an ad-supported version of the product that is free for everyone. As such, executives hope Peacock will provide value to viewers without cannibalizing its traditional pay-TV business. They will also offer two paid tiers for Peacock — a limited ad version that will cost about $5 per month and an ad-free version that will cost about $10 per month. Both tiers will include Peacock’s full suite of content.

Comcast subscribers will also get access to Peacock’s entire library with limited ads without paying additional fees. Pay-TV subscribers for other companies, such as AT&T and DirecTV, may also gain access to a limited-ad version of Peacock for no extra charge through their cable subscription.

Peacock will include more than 15,000 hours of content from across NBCUniversal’s properties, including CNBC, MSNBC, Bravo, USA, E!, Golf Channel, and more. It will feature older series that aired on NBC including Cheers, Friday Night Lights, and The Office (beginning in 2021). It will also include new originals such as a Saved By The Bell reboot and Dr. Death, based on the popular podcast. The free, ad-supported tier, however, will be subject to content limitations.

NBC is aiming for an April 2020 release date for Peacock.

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