NBCUniversal unveiled its Peacock streaming service to investors Thursday, highlighted by a free-for-all version that stands out in an increasingly crowded online video market. It launches in the U.S. on July 15.
Peacock Free will consist of 7,500 hours of programming, including next-day access to current seasons of first-year NBC shows, complete seasons of classic series, Universal movies and curated content such as "SNL Vault" and "Family Movie Night."
Peacock Free should give NBCUniversal an immediate surge of advertising revenue as consumers supplement their diet of streaming video with a product that won't cost extra per month. NBC Chairman Steve Burke said last year he expects Peacock can make about $5 per month for every Peacock subscriber in advertising revenue. Other streaming products, such as Netflix and Disney+, don't include advertising. AT&T's HBO Max also won't include ads, although WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey has said a future version of the product will.
There will also be two paid tiers of Peacock called Peacock Premium.
As previously reported by CNBC, there will be a $4.99-per-month version of Peacock Premium with advertisements and a $9.99-per-month option with no ads. Both paid tiers will include live sports and early access to late night shows. Peacock Premium will include non-televised Premier League soccer games beginning in August and Ryder Cup matches in September. The inclusion of sports is another differentiator for Peacock from rivals such as Disney+, HBO Max and Netflix, which don't include live games.
Peacock Premium will give NBC fans an early look at its Late Night lineup, a first for any broadcast network. Late Night fans with earlier bedtimes will be able to watch "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" at 8 p.m. ET each day instead of its normal TV time of 11:35 p.m. ET and "Late Night with Seth Meyers" at 9 p.m. ET instead of waiting until 12:35 a.m. ET.
Peacock will also feature live breaking news coverage and access to "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt." Full episodes of news magazine show "Dateline" will also be available for Peacock subscribers.
Comcast-owned NBCUniversal has a goal of reaching 30 million to 35 million active Peacock accounts by 2024.
Free Peacock Premium for Comcast and Cox customers
Comcast and Cox cable subscribers will get free access to Peacock Premium with ads and can pay $5 per month for the ad-free version. Comcast's Xfinity X1 and internet-only Flex customers will get access to Peacock Premium on April 15, three months earlier than the national launch.
Peacock Premium will have more than 15,000 hours of content consisting of more than 600 movies and 400 TV series. The service will be the streaming home of "Law & Order" and "Chicago Fire," along with previously announced series such as "30 Rock," "Two and a Half Men," "Cheers" and "Frasier."
Peacock announced several new original series that will be included with a premium subscription that tap longtime NBC stars. Tina Fey will produce "Girls5Eva," which features an all-girl musical act from the 1990s that reunites for another shot at stardom, and "Intelligence," starring former "Friends" actor David Schwimmer.
NBCUniversal also disclosed it acquired a stake in Kevin Hart's Laugh Out Loud network, which will make a Hart stand-up comedy special and other Hart-related content for Peacock.
Disclosure: Peacock is the streaming service of NBCUniversal, parent company of CNBC. Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal.
