NBCUniversal's Streaming Service Named Peacock, Includes Classic Shows And New Reboots
NBCUniversal has finally announced a name and line-up for its new streaming service.
This news comes to us courtesy of The New York Times.
As yet another addition to the huge slate of upcoming individual streaming services, NBCUniversal's Peacock will be stocked with over 15,000 hours of content — an announcement that comes on the heels of services like WarnerMedia (which features 10,000 hours of content), Disney+ (with its super-exclusive movies and TV shows), and Apple TV+ (running at a relatively low cost of $5 per month).
Peacock will launch in April of 2020, and will offer everything from old NBC favorites like Frasier to recent hits like 30 Rock. The streaming service also has a huge library of films, exclusive Olympics coverage in 2020, and, of course, plenty of exciting new projects.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bonnie Hammer, the chairman of direct-to-consumer and digital enterprises, said, "The name 'Peacock' pays homage to the quality content that audiences have come to expect from NBCUniversal — whether it's culture-defining dramas from innovative creators like Sam Esmail, laugh-out-loud comedies from legends like Lorne Michaels and Mike Schur, blockbusters from Universal Pictures, or buzzy unscripted programming from the people who do it best at Bravo and E!. Peacock will be the go-to place for both the timely and timeless — from can't-miss Olympic moments and the 2020 election, to classic fan favorites like The Office."
Peacock will follow both Apple and Disney's streaming efforts, debuting alongside the upcoming HBOMax and Quibi. Current Comcast subscribers may be in luck as well: it's rumored that the cable giant will reward its customers with a free, ad-supported version of Peacock. Pricing for ad-free and standalone subscriptions are yet to be announced as of this writing.
What does this mean for fan favorites?
It was announced in June of 2019 that The Office would eventually leave Netflix and transition to the then-unnamed NBCUniversal service, which we now know is Peacock. The announcement of the streaming service confirms that Dunder-Mifflin isn't the only workplace that will have an exclusive home at Peacock. Parks & Recreation, another beloved NBC mockumentary from network regular Michael Schur, is currently available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu — but once Peacock spreads its wings, it will exclusively stream on NBC's new service.
Of this development, Bonnie Hammer said that Peacock has both The Office and Parks and Recreation exclusively, and that the streamer will add "more exclusive titles and content" as things "ramp up." She added, "A lot has to do with the marketplace right now and what's available and what's not. We're going to invest smartly and strategically."
Other well-loved shows that will be available to stream on Peacock include Battlestar Galactica, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Cheers, Downton Abbey, Everybody Loves Raymond, Friday Night Lights, House, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Married ... With Children, Monk, Parenthood, Psych, Royal Pains, Saturday Night Live, Superstore, The Real Housewives, Top Chef, and Will & Grace – which will all provide plenty of nostalgia alongside currently-running fan favorites.
What's new on Peacock?
Of course, the most exciting development of this announcement is all of the new content that will exclusively air on Peacock. This includes new late-night projects, shows from established showrunners, and more.
As far as dramas go, Peacock subscribers will be able to check out not one but two projects from Mr. Robot showrunner Sam Esmail. The auteur will present a new take on Battlestar Galactica via a reboot series, as well as the new limited series Angelyne, which stars Esmail's real-life wife Emmy Rossum (who recently departed from the long running series Shameless). Brave New World (which features Demi Moore) and Alec Baldwin's Dr. Death will also premiere on the service.
Naturally, Peacock will be home to plenty of new comedies as well. Thanks to a long-running deal with NBC, Mike Schur — who is responsible for Parks, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Good Place – will air his new series Rutherford Falls (co-created by and led by The Office's Ed Helms) on the platform. Beyond that, viewers can enjoy Rashida Jones' pilot Straight Talk featuring Jada Pinkett Smith, a Saved by the Bell reboot from Great News' Tracey Wigfield, and a Punky Brewster sequel starring Soleil Moon Frye herself.
Psych fans should also get, well, psyched up: the second long-awaited film based on the beloved series will hit Peacock in 2020, delayed yet again after the first film was released in 2017.
Considering that NBC has been the home of late-night giants like Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon for years, it should come as no surprise that Peacock will feature plenty of variety series as well. In an exciting development, Late Night with Seth Meyers writer Amber Ruffin, known for recurring segments like "Amber Says What?" and "Jokes Seth Can't Tell," will be given her own late night show. Peacock will also stream an SNL documentary series called Who Wrote That, another Real Housewives spin-off, and second talk show from Jimmy Fallon.
How does Peacock fit in with other streaming services?
Peacock might be arriving after its streaming counterparts, but it's certainly got enough content and exclusivity to make it worth it for pretty much any audience. However, there are still plenty of crazy logistical questions to think about as seemingly every studio and network splits off their creations into a different streaming service — which will undoubtedly lead to consumers either signing up for a glut of services or making some serious sacrifices when it comes to their entertainment.
During the advent of services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, the convenience of having such a wide range of both original and established series was a huge draw for television audiences, which pushed many consumers to cut the cable cord in favor of a streaming-only experience. With so many beloved shows migrating to different corners of the streaming world, it might be tougher than ever to choose which services to sign up for and which to let go. But as far as Peacock is concerned, NBC top brass likely doesn't need to worry — with new and existing content, Peacock sounds like it won't have much trouble drawing in viewers.