On Thursday, NBCUniversal reps standing at the feet of a gigantic avian topiary in Rockefeller Center unveiled the much-hyped Peacock streaming service(opens in a new tab).
Set to launch nationally on July 15, Peacock will feature a free, ad-supported version and two premium options, priced at $4.99 and $9.99 per month. Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex Customers will have Peacock Premium bundled at no additional cost starting April 15.
“This is a very exciting time for our company, as we chart the future of entertainment,” said Chairman of NBCUniversal Steve Burke, emphasizing the stand-out decision to stream free content.
In an official press release, the company projected it would reach 30 to 35 million active accounts by 2024. Here's everything we know about Peacock's offerings, including the status of shows like The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, NBC late-night, live sports, Peacock originals, and more.
Peacock Free
Peacock Free will include over 7,500 hours of programming, featuring next day access to current seasons of freshman series (a model similar to NBCUniversal's current on-site streaming), curated daily news and sports coverage (including the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo), select episodes of Peacock originals, popular movies, and "complete classic series."
At this time, how Peacock Free is defining classic series is a bit murky. Notably, The Office isn't set to leave Netflix until 2021 — but whether it will be offered for free on Peacock isn't clear. (Mashable has reached out to NBC for clarification.)
Peacock Free will also feature streaming channels, such as "SNL Vault," "Family Movie Night,” and “Olympic Profiles,” expected to provide a variety of viewing on a pre-set schedule 24/7.
Peacock Premium
For $4.99 per month, Peacock Premium subscribers will have ad-supported access to all Peacock originals (more details on confirmed series below), next-day access to current seasons of returning series, and sports content such as the Premiere League.
Subscribers will also have early access to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers — streaming at 8 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET, respectively.
For $9.99 per month, customers can have all of the same content ad-free. As it stands now, that's more than Disney+ ($6.99 per month), AppleTV+ ($4.99), and ad-supported Hulu ($5.99), but less than Netflix's standard plan ($12.99) and ad-free Hulu ($11.99).
Peacock Premium is expected to be bundled with additional services before launch.
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Confirmed existing series
Peacock will offer the following series (though not at all are expected at launch):
30 Rock Bates Motel Battlestar Galactica Brooklyn Nine-Nine Cheers Chicago Fire Chicago Med Chicago P.D. Chrisley Knows Best Covert Affairs Downton Abbey Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier Friday Night Lights House Keeping Up with the Kardashians King of Queens Law and Order Law and Order: Criminal Intent Law and Order: SVU Married…With Children Monk Paramount's Yellowstone Parenthood Parks and Recreation Psych Royal Pains Saturday Night Live Superstore The Office Warner Brothers' The George Lopez Show Warner Brothers' Two and a Half Men Will & Grace
Peacock originals
As of its Thursday announcement, Peacock is touting a hefty lineup of original series(opens in a new tab).
Especially intriguing are a Tina Fey-produced series about a one-hit-wonder '90s girl group titled Girls5Eva(opens in a new tab); the Emmy Rossum-starring Angelyne(opens in a new tab) centering on the mysterious Los Angeles icon; Expecting from Mindy Kaling; Division One from Amy Poehler; and reboots of Saved by the Bell(opens in a new tab), Punky Brewster(opens in a new tab), and Battlestar Galactica(opens in a new tab).
Read the full Peacock press release(opens in a new tab). Also, its Twitter is uh... wild(opens in a new tab).
