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Tag Archives: Peacock
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Peacock Platform’s ‘Right To Try’ Documents One Man’s HIV Cure Attempt – Deadline
There are people who live their lives in service to others, and then there’s Jeffrey Drew.
For decades the Los Angeles-based casting director lived with HIV, managing the disease—like countless other people—with expensive but effective antiretroviral medications. When the opportunity came about in 2019 to participate in a clinical trial of a potential HIV cure, Drew had every reason to say no: He was doing fine on his meds, and the experimental treatment could destroy his health. Despite the risks, he said yes.
“The treatment was so uncertain and new,” Drew tells Deadline. “I was certainly getting very ill for about a month. I thought, ‘My god, what did I do?’”
Drew’s decision to take part in the trial and its impact on him is explored in the short documentary Right to Try, directed by Zeberiah Newman. The film, which is contending for Oscar consideration, debuted on the Peacock streaming service December 1, World AIDS Day.
Peacock
He put his life on the line “not to cure my own HIV,” he says, but for the sake of others. “People are on medications, but there are people around the world that are still dying because of HIV and AIDS. And, so, I just felt like, why not, why not be a part of this?”
Drew wasn’t paid to take part in the trial. The study wasn’t done under the auspices of major pharmaceutical companies—another reason he agreed to participate.
“It wasn’t attached to Big Pharma,” Drew notes. “It wasn’t attached to anything. I believed in the science of it and I trusted the scientists and the people that were involved with it. I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to see how this goes. Who knows? Who knows?’ It’s been a wild journey. It’s been a really wild journey.”
“It’s like a David versus Goliath story,” says Newman, whose day job is working as a producer on The Late Late Show with James Corden. “Goliath is Big Pharma… In this country, disease has been monetized in a way that the more people who need access to treatment, the more money [pharmaceutical companies] make. They’re incentivized to just create more treatments and not cure things. In our film we, in a very brief way, sort of highlight the idea that there will be no cures to these diseases unless there is action from the people, because the companies who create the treatments are making so much money–billions and billions and billions of dollars.”
CAA
Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer signed on as a producer of the film. At a Q&A moderated by Corden last week in Los Angeles, Spencer said after she learned of the film through an article, she and her team immediately wanted to become involved.
“I just remember watching the movie–and when we got the reset button with this pandemic, you realize that you have to be of service,” Spencer said. “I thought, ‘Well, this is a way that I can help because I want to be able to push this story out there.’ And they had done such an amazing job… I kept wanting to make sure that the word got out. We need to do something about how medicine is distributed in this country. And for Jeffrey to be so selfless–I don’t know that I can ever do that.”
Drew’s history of looking out for others goes back to when he was first diagnosed with HIV over 30 years ago.
“I tested positive at the bleakest time of the AIDS epidemic, a young gay boy,” Drew said at the Q&A. “These men that I met 30-something years ago were like, ‘You’re going to go [help].’ …This is what we all did collectively. And I saw these men dying with humor and grace and yet they taught me about service that, ‘We’re going to go here at 10:00. We’re dropping off fresh towels and we’re going to change the sheets. And then at 12 o’clock, we’re bringing food.’ It was about service… Service gives me purpose today and I’m not here to take, so much as to give back.”
Peacock
So far, the experimental treatment Drew underwent has been working beautifully and his viral load remains undetectable. He does worry that a big pharmaceutical company may try to swoop in and patent the treatment. That’s out of his hands, however. What is within his grasp is serving as a role model to others.
“It’s my life today, whether it’s putting on shows or raising money,” he said. “I’m not smart enough to cure AIDS or cancer or anything fantastic like that. But I can give service and I can go help someone find treatment or be kind, all that stuff. That’s what’s really important in my life for me, that if I die tomorrow, that people will know that, ‘Oh yeah, that Jeffrey, he was a good one. That’s a good egg. He was of maximum service in this life.’”
Comcast Has Lost $520 Million On Peacock
Seeing such a staggering number at a loss may make people assume the service is failing, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Companies like Netflix and Uber got their start operating at massive losses, practicing what is known as a growth-before-profit ideology. As first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell stated, “Everything on Peacock is heading in the right direction, and there is really nothing from a trajectory perspective that is any different from what it was last quarter.” He continued, “All metrics are pointed up: our usage continues to be great, our mix of users.”
The CEO also noted that Peacock’s marketing plans have shifted, now advertising the service in more ways than just for subscriptions. According to Shell, the plan “is going spectacularly well.” Despite the loss, Peacock is actually ahead of where NBCUniversal had anticipated being at this point, and as Shell continued, “every month, every quarter, it gets further ahead.” Comcast CEO Brian Roberts noted that the day-and-date premiere of “Halloween Kills” was the top non-live event in Peacock’s history and that the hit series “La Brea” is the service’s best performing new show.
Peacock is sure to attract even more subscribers with their recently announced November programming lineup.
NBC demanded that YouTube TV bundle Peacock or lose access to NBC channels
Enlarge / A giant peacock in front of 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
Getty Images | NBC
NBCUniversal recently asked YouTube TV to bundle Peacock, the NBC streaming service that has apparently failed to get many paying subscribers. The Comcast-owned NBC wants the Google-owned YouTube TV to pay for Peacock as a condition of continuing to have access to NBC channels after the companies’ current contract expires.
Google objected to the demand, and NBC is apparently willing to drop it. But a dispute over how much Google must pay NBC is still pending, and both sides have warned that YouTube TV subscribers could lose access to NBC channels.
NBC’s Peacock demand came during an ongoing carriage dispute between NBC and YouTube TV, according to a blog post yesterday by investor research firm LightShed Partners. The existing carriage contract between YouTube TV and NBC expires on Thursday, and about 15 NBCUniversal channels would be dropped from YouTube TV if the companies don’t strike a new deal in time.
“NBCU is trying to force YouTube TV to bundle and pay for Peacock Premium as part of a new affiliation agreement for the NBCU channels,” LightShed Partners wrote, pointing out that this is a strange demand.
“Your initial reaction should be why is Peacock even part of this discussion since it is an over-the-top, direct-to-consumer streaming service,” LightShed Partners wrote. “You do not need YouTube TV nor any MVPD/vMVPD [Multichannel Video Programming Distributor] service to get Peacock—it is $5/month with ads and $10/month without ads via iOS/Android, tvOS, etc… The whole point of DTC streaming is you do NOT need the legacy multichannel bundle.”
When contacted by Ars, a Google spokesperson confirmed that NBC asked YouTube TV to bundle Peacock and said that NBC’s demand would force subscribers to pay twice for the same content. Google also told Ars that despite this proposed bundling arrangement costing users more, subscribers would have to download and use the Peacock app separately from YouTube TV. Given that, a Peacock subscription would simply be an extra perk of subscribing to YouTube TV without providing any special integration that makes the two services easier to use together.
An NBC source who is familiar with the negotiations told Ars that NBC’s Peacock demand is “out” of the negotiations for now. But the source did not completely rule a Peacock/YouTube TV bundling out of a final agreement because negotiations are fluid and could change up until the final minute.
NBC clings to “legacy business model”
LightShed Partners analysts say they “sense the leading reason [for NBC’s demand] is that Peacock has been underwhelming to date beyond usage on Comcast/Cox set-top boxes, where it effectively functions as an updated version of on-demand programming for cable subscribers… With NBCU struggling with marketing Peacock direct-to-consumer (evidenced by their talking about ‘registrations’ vs. ‘paying subscribers’), they are falling back on their legacy business model of wholesale bundling to drive distribution. If they can force YouTube TV to carry Peacock, we suspect they will try to force other vMVPDs and MVPDs to do the same.”
The dispute is a reminder that the bundling practices common to cable and satellite TV may not be eliminated by the rise of online streaming services. But in this case, LightShed Partners said it believes that NBC is fighting a losing battle and will ultimately drop its demand:
While carriage battles almost always end with the distributor caving, this just feels different. NBCU… want[s] to show investors that Peacock is a ‘success’ as streaming success is now the only thing that matters to media investors (thanks to Disney’s incredible success launching Disney+) and sustain their increasingly challenged legacy broadcast/cable network assets. Yet, doing battle with a tech platform whose investors do not care about the broadcast/cable network business and who probably think of YouTube TV as a hobby with little-to-no profitability is going to be hard for Comcast/NBCU to win. Google clearly believes in the importance of YouTube TV to drive YouTube ad sales given its aggressive marketing spend. However, the leverage in this negotiation feels like it is skewed toward Google. Ultimately, we expect NBCU to cave and leave Peacock out of the agreement.
NBC may have dropped its Peacock demand after LightShed published its post, based on what the NBC source told Ars.
Though YouTube TV is delivered over the Internet, it is similar to traditional cable TV in that it offers a bundle of live channels, on-demand video, and DVR service. Google would obviously like YouTube TV to continue offering NBC channels without having to bundle Peacock, and that’s probably a better outcome for users who could be forced to pay more for YouTube TV if NBC’s bundling demand is successful.
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said in July that Peacock has “54 million sign-ups and over 20 million monthly active accounts.” That includes people who registered for the free tier, and it isn’t clear how many people pay for the $5 and $10 tiers. As LightShed noted, the user number also includes people who get the ad-supported $5 tier of Peacock for free in a bundle with Comcast or Cox cable service. Comcast’s latest quarterly earnings announcement said its media-division results include a “loss of $363 million related to Peacock.”
Google to cut price by $10 if dispute continues
Google announced in a blog post on Tuesday that if the NBC deal expires without a new agreement being reached, it will decrease the YouTube TV monthly price from $65 to $55 until NBC channels are available again. Google pointed out that customers can sign up for Peacock separately “to continue watching NBCU content, such as Sunday Night Football.”
NBC made a similar Peacock-bundling demand of Spectrum TV operator Charter earlier this year but “failed in trying to get Charter to carry Peacock Premium… and settled for a short-term trial for Charter subs,” LightShed Partners wrote.
“We cannot fathom why YouTube TV would pay for Peacock, when they can simply tell subscribers to sign up for Peacock Premium via Google Play or any other app store,” the investment research firm’s blog post said. One of the strangest aspects of NBC’s demand, LightShed wrote, “is that YouTube TV subscribers would not even be able to access Peacock from within the YouTube TV app; they would need to download Peacock and use the Peacock app. In addition, Peacock has a lot of next-day linear programming from NBCU that you already get when you subscribe to YouTube TV (or any other MVPD/vMVPD).”
Channels that could be dropped from YouTube TV if the dispute isn’t settled include NBC, Bravo, CNBC, E!, Golf Channel, MSNBC, Oxygen, SYFY, Telemundo, The Olympic Channel, Universal Kids, Universo, and USA Network. Also at stake is access to NBC’s regional sports networks in the Bay Area, Northern California, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, the Northwest US, and Washington, DC.
YouTube TV wants to be treated “like any other TV provider”
One sticking point in negotiations is reportedly YouTube TV’s demand that NBC agree to a most-favored-nation (MFN) clause. LightShed noted that other TV providers have required MFN agreements for years, and “[g]iven YouTube TV’s scale and growing industry importance, we have a hard time understanding why they would not be able to protect themselves with an MFN.” Another area of dispute is over what YouTube TV has to pay NBC for regional sports networks, but LightShed’s post said that the Peacock and MFN disputes are the “two big issues.”
“Our ask is that NBCU treats YouTube TV like any other TV provider,” Google said in its blog post, in an apparent reference to negotiations over an MFN clause. “In other words, for the duration of our agreement, YouTube TV seeks the same rates that services of a similar size get from NBCU so we can continue offering YouTube TV to members at a competitive and fair price.” Google told Ars that NBC has not been willing to offer contractual protections that ensure YouTube TV doesn’t pay more for NBC channels than similarly sized TV providers do.
Google’s blog post said that “NBCU is an important partner for us” and that it is “hopeful we can get past this impasse to keep their content available on YouTube TV.” NBC took an aggressive stance, setting up a “You Need Channels” website that warns users, “YouTube TV may drop your favorite channels.” This NBC website urges users to express their discontent by contacting YouTube TV and provides a list of alternate TV providers that consumers could switch to.
NBCUniversal provided Ars a statement, saying that “NBCUniversal is seeking fair rates from Google for YouTube TV’s continued carriage of the only portfolio offering entertainment, Hispanic, news and sports networks. Unfortunately, Google is refusing to make a deal at these fair rates and is willing to withhold entertainment, news and sports programming from their paying customers. NBCUniversal feels a responsibility to inform our fans that they are at risk of losing their favorite shows if Google continues with their demands.”
Analyst: Comcast should stick to broadband
Comcast continues to operate both a cable network and a media business, courtesy of its 2011 purchase of NBCUniversal. By contrast, AT&T plans to spin off WarnerMedia and focus more on its core telecom expertise, while Verizon is similarly giving up on the media business by selling Yahoo and AOL.
LightShed analysts say Comcast should focus on broadband instead of media—but they don’t expect that to happen.
“Given that Comcast investors really only care about Comcast broadband, we are having a harder and harder time understanding why Comcast still owns NBCU, let alone Sky in the UK,” LightShed wrote. “Not to mention, why is Comcast even still in the video bundling business and trying to force Peacock to be a success versus just offering third-party vMVPDs and SVOD/AVOD services on top of its incredible broadband pipe? If Comcast exited NBCU, Sky and the video bundling biz, its stock would soar. Unfortunately for Comcast investors, it does not appear any of this is likely anytime soon.”
‘Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem’ Spinoff at Peacock, Lisa Rinna Stars
Here’s a soap-worthy twist: The Days of Our Lives franchise is expanding.
Peacock on Monday announced that it has ordered Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem, a five-episode limited series spinoff of the venerable NBC sudser. Days alum-turned-Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Rinna is set to headline the offshoot, reprising her role as Billie Reed. She will appear opposite Days vets Deidre Hall (Marlena), Drake Hogestyn (John) and James Reynolds (Abe).
Other current Days cast members taking part in the spinoff are Jackée Harry (Paulina), Victoria Konefal (Ciara) Robert Scott Wilson (Ben), Billy Flynn (Chad), Lamon Archey (Eli) and Sal Stowers (Lani). A Peacock rep teases that “additional beloved characters” will turn up in the new series.
Rinna has played Billie on and off since 1992. She most recently appeared in 2018.
Read on for the official logline for Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem…
Over a long weekend, John & Marlena travel to Zurich, Ben & Ciara have a romantic getaway in New Orleans, Chad visits some old friends in Phoenix, and Abe, Paulina, Lani, and Eli vacation in Miami. All find themselves embroiled in a mystery involving stolen jewels which, in the wrong hands, could cause dire consequences for Salem. It’s a race against time for ISA agent Billie Reed as she crosses the globe in search of this missing treasure. Packed with all of the romance, action, drama, and surprises that only Days of our Lives can deliver, fans will spend a week with their favorite Salem supercouples and reconnect with many familiar faces along the way.
Current Days head writer Ron Carlivati shepherd Beyond Salem alongside EP Ken Corday and co-executive producer Albert Alarr.
News of the spinoff comes on the (relative) heels of the mother ship’s two-season renewal at NBC.
How to watch Tokyo Olympics on Peacock: Streaming schedule, live events, times, dates
The Tokyo Olympics are underway and NBC Sports has you covered with all you need to know about how to watch the Olympic Games on Peacock. Keep reading to find out how to get Peacock, the schedule of events including dates and times for Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics, Track and Field, Team USA Men’s Basketball and more.
How do I get Peacock and how can I watch it?
Peacock is available for free which is where you can enjoy the majority of Peacock’s 2020 Tokyo Olympics programming. In addition to the free plan, there’s also Peacock Premium and Peacock Premium Plus. You can upgrade to Peacock Premium for $4.99/month to unlock every movie, every episode, every season, live sports and more, or Peacock Premium Plus for an additional $5.00/month to watch without ads.
CLICK HERE to get Peacock now!
Peacock is available on platforms and devices such as Android and iOS mobile devices and tablets, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PS4, PS5, Roku, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, Xfinity and more.
What Olympic Events will be on Peacock?
Peacock will stream major events including Men’s and Women’s Gymnastics and Track and Field on their channels. You can upgrade to Peacock Premium to stream Team USA Men’s Basketball games, as well as watch select replays including the Opening Ceremony. Learn more about Peacock here.
RELATED: How to Watch the Tokyo Olympics: TV & Streaming Schedule
Peacock also has original series, documentaries, and specials such as For Ball and Country, The Greatest Race, The ’96 Effect, Golden: The Journey of USA’s Elite Gymnasts, Tokyo Dreams Live On and My Pursuit. Plus, check out the always-on Tokyo NOW Channel featuring four original shows covering the Olympic Games:
Peacock’s Tokyo NOW Channel Schedule
- Tokyo LIVE (6:00 am – 11:00 am): Start your day with our morning show, featuring live look-ins on the hottest athletes and events. Hosted by Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila.
- Tokyo Gold (11:00 am – 7:00 pm): Tune in for a daily roundup of highlights, recaps, and must-see moments. Hosted by Rich Eisen.
- On Her Turf at the Olympics (7:00 pm – 7:30 pm): Follow the powerful women of Team USA as they gear up for the ultimate competition. Hosted by Lindsay Czarniak, Lolo Jones, and MJ Acosta-Ruiz. Follow On Her Turf’s day-by-day guide to the Olympics here.
- Tokyo Tonight (7:30 pm – 12:00 am ET): Your evening destination for the top global and breaking Olympic news. Hosted by Cari Champion and Kenny Mayne with Jac Collinsworth serving as a contributor.
More from On Her Turf: Simone Biles’ coach on if (and when) she will compete Yurchenko double pike
Tokyo Olympics on Peacock schedule
*All times ET- Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of Eastern time. Schedule including dates and times subject to change.
Saturday, July 24 streams
6:30 a.m.: Men’s Gymnastics Qualifying
8:45 a.m.: Men’s Volleyball – United States vs. France (preliminary match)
Sunday, July 25 streams
2:10 a.m.: Women’s Gymnastics Qualifying
8:00 a.m.: Men’s basketball, United States vs. France*
8:25 a.m.: Women’s 3×3 Basketball – USA vs. ROC
9:00 a.m.: Men’s Beach Volleyball – USA (Bourne/Gibb) vs. ITA (Carambula/Rossi)
Monday, July 26 streams
6:00 a.m.: Men’s Gymnastics Team Final
Tuesday, July 27 streams
6:45 a.m.: Women’s Gymnastics Team Final
Wednesday, July 28 streams
6:15 a.m.: Men’s Gymnastics All-Around
Thursday, July 29 streams
6:50 a.m.: Women’s Gymnastics All-Around
Friday, July 30 streams
6:00 a.m.: Track and Field (Women’s 5,000m Round 1, Women’s Triple Jump Qualifying Round, Women’s Shot Put Qualifying Round, Mixed 4x400m Relay Round 1, Men’s 10,000m Final)
Saturday, July 31 streams
6:00 a.m.: Track and Field (Men’s Long Jump Qualifying Round, Women’s 100m Semifinals, Men’s 100m Round 1, Men’s Discus Throw Final, Women’s 800m Semifinals, Mixed 4x400m Relay Final, Women’s 100m Final)
Sunday, August 1 streams
4:00 a.m.: Gymnastic Events Finals (Men’s Floor Exercise, Women’s Vault, Men’s Pommel Horse, Women’s Uneven Bars)
6:00 a.m.: Track and Field (Men’s High Jump Final, Men’s 100m Semifinals, Women’s 100m Hurdles Semifinals, Women’s Triple Jump Final, Men’s 800m Semifinals, Men’s 400m Hurdles Semifinals, Men’s 100m Final)
Monday, August 2 streams
4:00 a.m.: Gymnastic Events Final (Men’s Rings Final, Women’s Floor Exercise, Men’s Vault)
6:00 a.m.: Track and Field (Women’s Pole Vault Qualifying Round, Women’s 200m Semifinals, Women’s Discus Throw Final, Men’s 400m Semifinals, Women’s 400m Hurdles Semifinals, Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase Final, Women’s 5,000m Final)
Tuesday, August 3 streams
4:00 a.m.: Gymnastic Events Final (Men’s Parallel Bars, Women’s Balance Beam, Men’s Horizontal Bar)
6:00 a.m.: Track and Field (Men’s 110m Hurdles Round 1, Men’s Shot Put Qualifying, Men’s Pole Vault Final, Men’s 5,000m Round 1, Women’s Hammer Throw Final, Men’s 200m Semifinals, Women’s 800m Final, Women’s 200m final)
Wednesday, August 4 streams
6:00 a.m.: Track and Field (Men’s Decathlon High Jump, Women’s 1500m Semifinals, Women’s Heptathlon Shot Put, Women’s 400m Semifinals, Women’s 3000m Steeplechase Final, Men’s Hammer Throw Final, Women’s Heptathlon 200m, Women’s 3000m Steeplechase Victory Ceremony, Men’s 800m Final, Men’s Decathlon 400m, Men’s 200m Final)
Thursday, August 5 streams
6:00 a.m.: Track and Field (Men’s Decathlon Javelin Throw, Women’s Pole Vault Final, Women’s 4 x 400m Relay Round 1, Men’s 1500m Semifinals, Men’s 400m Final, Women’s Heptathlon 800m, Men’s Decathlon 1500m)
Friday, August 6 streams
6:50 a.m.: Track and Field (Men’s 4 x 400m Relay Round 1, Women’s Javelin Throw Final, Men’s 5000m Final, Women’s 400m Final, Women’s 1500m Final, Women’s 4 x 100m Relay Final, Men’s 4 x 100m Relay Final)
Saturday, August 7 streams
6:00 a.m.: Track and Field (Women’s High Jump Final, Women’s 10,000m Final, Men’s Javelin Throw Final, Men’s 1500m Final, Women’s 4 x 400m Relay Final, Men’s 4 x 400m Relay Final)
Sunday, August 8 streams
7:00 a.m.: Closing Ceremony
Stay up to date on the Tokyo Olympics with NBCOlympics.com, NBC Sports and Peacock. For a full streaming schedule and to see what Olympic events are live now, check out the NBC Olympics live schedule page.
Movies on Some Streaming Services Could Be Headed for Peacock
The battle between streaming services for your binge-watching hours continues.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Peacock parent NBCUniversal has been mulling pulling its movies from services like Netflix and HBO Max to boost its own content offering. The outlet additionally reported that contracts that HBO Max and Netflix have respectively with Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment will expire at the end of 2021.
Bloomberg reported that no final decision has been made as to whether it will pull its films from rival services where they appear less than a year after releasing in theaters. A spokesperson declined to comment on negotiations but did confirm that pay 1 rights agreements are coming up at the end of the year and that negotiations with interested parties are currently underway.
It doesn’t come as any surprise that Peacock would be weighing such a decision, though. While those licensing deals are likely lucrative for NBCUniversal, Peacock entered the streaming wars alongside a number of other platform launches. Everyone is competing for viewers, and nobody is quite pulling off the numbers of Netflix or Disney+, which have 200 million and 100 million subscriptions, respectively. Peacock, which launched last year, reported having 33 million subscriptions in January.
Peacock does offer a lot of content that other services do not, and its WWE hub will likely be a draw for some subscribers. That said, Netflix and HBO Max are dumping a ton of money into producing high-quality originals, which will help them continue to scale and draw in new subscribers.
Even if NBCUniversal proceeds with yanking its films from rival services to instead offer them on its own, it is questionable whether that will carry the service—particularly for films that have already been released in theaters. This is especially true as the promise of vaccines for covid-19 reaches a greater percentage of the population and consumers begin to return to public spaces to go to the movies.
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Will this potentially suck for subscribers? Well, yes. But I wonder if many HBO Max and Netflix users would even know the difference if Peacock does pull this lever.
Peacock Becomes WWE Network Exclusive U.S. Streaming Distributor
NBCUniversal’s Peacock soon will be the only place to watch WWE Network in the U.S.
WWE and NBCU reached a multiyear agreement giving Peacock exclusive streaming rights to WWE Network for American viewers. The over-the-top wrestling entertainment service’s existing U.S. subscribers (about 1.1 million in total) will be migrated over to Peacock Premium, where they’ll continue to get access to WWE Network but will pay 50% less per month while getting full access to the version of the Peacock Premium tier with ads.
Peacock will launch WWE Network on March 18, 2021, when Peacock will begin the rollout of more than 17,000 hours of WWE Network new, original, and library programming (both on-demand and on a new 24-hour channel).
The NBCU streamer will have all WWE live events — for no additional charge — including WrestleMania and SummerSlam, with Fastlane the first event to stream on Peacock on Sunday, March 21. (WWE fans who would prefer to order events via traditional pay-per-view will still have that option.)
WWE Network will be available on Peacock Premium (which includes ads) for $4.99 per month, half the price of WWE Network’s current $9.99/month pricing. The no-commercials Peacock Premium Plus plan, which costs $9.99/month, also will include WWE Network.
The companies plans to share details of how existing WWE Network subscribers in the U.S. will be switched to Peacock (e.g., whether they will be automatically subscribed to Peacock) in the next few weeks. Nothing will change for WWE Network subscribers outside the U.S.
Financial terms of the Peacock-WWE Network pact were not disclosed. “We feel great about the financials. Otherwise we wouldn’t have done the deal,” said Nick Khan, WWE’s president and chief revenue officer, who joined the company last August from CAA. “To have WrestleMania in particular — which is our Super Bowl — available [for no extra cost] on Peacock is quite different from other models you’re seeing.”
For Peacock, the WWE Network is “a transformative addition,” said Rick Cordella, Peacock’s EVP and chief revenue officer. “We have a lot of data that shows live events and sports drives a lot of user acquisition,” he said. “The bet is that there exists a much larger total available audience [for WWE programming] than is on WWE Network today.”
NBCU and WWE have been partners for almost 30 years, starting in 1993 with “Monday Night Raw” on USA. “WWE has always tapped into the cultural zeitgeist with spectacular live events and larger-than-life characters, and we are thrilled to be the exclusive home for WWE Network and its millions of fans across the country,” said Cordella.
In the third quarter of 2020, WWE Network had average paid subscribers of 1.6 million, down about 60,000 from the prior quarter but an increase of 6% year over year — marking the service’s first annual growth since Q1 of 2019. The entertainment company originally launched WWE Network in February 2014, when it ended its traditional pay-per-view events business.
Starting in 2022, WWE will produce “one signature documentary annually” for the WWE Network on Peacock. Also available on WWE Network are about 100 hours of original series like “Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions,” “Undertaker: The Last Ride” and the recently premiered “WWE Icons”; in-ring shows like NXT, NXT UK and WWE 205 Live, as well as replays of “Raw” and “SmackDown”; WWE Network archives, including every WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-view event in history; and documentaries including “WWE 24,” “WWE Untold” and “WWE 365.”
Peacock, which NBCU launched nationwide in July 2020, attracted nearly 22 million user “sign-ups” in its first six months of wide release, according to the company. Eligible customers of Comcast Xfinity X1 and Flex and Cox’s Contour — a total of about 24 million households — get Peacock Premium included at no additional cost.
Peacock’s content lineup includes a slate of originals, libraries of TV shows — including all episodes of “The Office” and “Yellowstone” — and films from Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination, and other studios. In addition, the OTT service provides news, sports, late-night, Spanish-language, and reality from across NBCUniversal.
Peacock Premium now offers more than 47,000 hours of programming. NBCU also offers a free, ad-supported version of Peacock with a trimmed-down bucket of content.
Pictured above: WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 36