The next inductee in the streaming wars will make its limited debut today. As of today, millions of Comcast customers will be able to access up to 15,000 hours of TV shows and movies on NBCUniversal’s Peacock. Comcast subscribers will be able to preview Peacock, three months ahead of its national rollout in what will be the first true test of how the coronavirus pandemic will impact a new entrant in the escalating streaming wars.
The ad-supported Peacock, which will be made available at no-cost to Comcast X1 and Flex customers, offers a mix of current programming, classic titles and early access to late night shows from Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. The draw for Peacock until The Office arrives in 2021 will be its hit comedies including 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation and Saturday Night Live. The streaming service will also contain Universal’s film library, from the Jurassic Park franchise to the Academy Award winner, Schindler’s List.
Comcast is making it easy for its customers to access Peacock by integrating the service directly into its X1 and Flex experiences and promoting it both on the home screen and in other curated content hubs on Comcast.
On Tuesday afternoon, NBCU CEO Jeff Shell and Strauss sent a memo to staff thanking them for their work prepping the service in just a little over a year.
“When we targeted April 15th as the launch date, we knew we had our work cut out for us, but never imagined we would be faced with the challenges that this global pandemic has created,”
“Yet nothing has stopped us, even with the entire Peacock team, and much of the company at large, working from home in all parts of the world.”
It’s safe to say reviews of the streaming service will be hitting the internet very soon.
