NBCUniversal Debuts Peacock Streaming Service for Comcast Subscribers
NBCUniversal launches its new Peacock streaming service for Comcast Xfinity customers, offering a premium tier with over 15,000 hours of content. A broader national rollout follows in July with both free and paid options.
NBCUniversal rolls out its new streaming service, Peacock, to Comcast Xfinity X1 and Flex customers tomorrow at no extra cost. The phased deployment for Comcast users continues through the end of April, while a wider national launch for all platforms is scheduled for July 15. Comcast subscribers immediately receive access to the premium tier, which boasts an on-demand library of more than 15,000 hours of movies and television shows.
The premium tier features popular shows like "30 Rock," "Parks and Recreation," and "Law & Order," along with early access to NBC's late-night programming. When the service expands to mobile and general audiences in July, it introduces a free, ad-supported tier with about half the content. Standalone premium subscriptions will cost $4.99 per month with ads or $9.99 per month without ads, maintaining a relatively light ad load of no more than five minutes per hour.
Peacock plans to introduce original programming, including reboots of "Battlestar Galactica," "Punky Brewster," and "Saved by the Bell." Although the COVID-19 pandemic forces delays on some productions, Peacock Chairman Matt Strauss remains optimistic and confirms that several original series are still on track for 2020. This launch arrives at a time when Comcast reports a significant surge in home viewing, with household watch time increasing by two hours per day compared to last year.