NBCUniversal's upcoming streaming service, Peacock, could turn out to be ad-supported, CNBC reports.
The streaming service will supply advertisements to all viewers; however, maybe it'll offer an ad-supported tier while anyone with a regular cable/satellite TV or Comcast broadband subscription earn additional benefits. CNBC spoke with sources saying there might be multiple tiers. Peacock should be free at the very least, but pay-TV subscribers could either lose ads or gain exclusive features.
Initially, Peacock appeared likely to require a subscription. NBCUniversal would sell direct-to-consumer, but pay-TV and Comcast broadband customers would get free access. The latest strategy, however, is to release Peacock as free-to-watch for everyone and attach ads.
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Peacock arrives in April 2020, and NBCUniversal has series and films lined up for the launch. Original programming includes a Brave New World adaptation as well as Punky Brewster and Saved by the Bell reboots. Peacock also grabbed streaming rights for Parks and Recreation in October 2020 and The Office in January 2021.
Streaming services aren't going away. In fact, there are more rolling out soon. Apple TV+ launched earlier in the week, and Disney+ debuts this month. Peacock won't be alone in 2020, though. AT&T's HBO Max will try to win with a deep catalog of original and licensed content starting in May. From technology to media, plenty of companies think they'll topple Netflix and attract tens of millions of subscribers.
It's unclear who will stand victorious at the end. Sony recently decided to shut down PlayStation Vue, and that could be a sign of other existing competitors prepared to drop out of this race. We'll need to see what happens in 2020 and check-in on the status of all these services in the future.