NBCUniversal has unveiled the name, initial programming lineup and strategy behind its forthcoming streaming service.
The ad-supported, direct-to-consumer platform will be called Peacock and launch in April 2020 with a lineup of more than 15,000 hours of content, including exclusive library titles like Parks and Recreation and originals including reboots of Battlestar Galactica, Saved by the Bell and Punky Brewster. Peacock will take center stage during NBC’s coverage of the Summer Olympics in 2020 when the entire NBCUniversal fold will get behind the platform with a massive marketing push promoting the service, with originals set to launch after the Games.
“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!,” Bonnie Hammer, chairman of direct-to-consumer and digital enterprises, said Tuesday in a statement. “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 be the exclusive streaming home for both The Office and Parks, with other library titles set to debut at launch on the service eventually becoming exclusive to the platform. Those titles — nearly all of which are from studio counterparts Universal TV and UCP — include 30 Rock, Bates Motel, Battlestar Galactica, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Cheers, Chrisley Knows Best, Covert Affairs, Downton Abbey, Everybody Loves Raymond, Frasier, Friday Night Lights, House, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, King of Queens, Married … With Children, Monk, Parenthood, Psych, Royal Pains, Saturday Night Live, Superstore, The Real Housewives, Top Chef and Will & Grace.
Feature film library titles from within the company fold — including from Universal, DreamWorks Animation and Focus Features — will also be available at launch, though on a non-exclusive basis. Peacock will also look to Universal’s feature division to create TV series from its established film franchises. Library titles available at launch include American Pie, Bridesmaids, Knocked Up, Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, A Beautiful Mind, Back to the Future, Brokeback Mountain, Casino, Dallas Buyers Club, Do the Right Thing, Erin Brockovich, E.T., Field of Dreams, Jaws, Mama Mia, Shrek and The Breakfast Club. The Bourne, Despicable Me and Fast & Furious franchises will also be available.
More than 3,000 hours of content from NBCU’s Telemundo will also be available on Peacock, including the original dramedy Armas de Mujer and a handful of library titles.
Peacock’s initial original drama slate will consist of a new take on Battlestar Galactica from Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail; Dr. Death, starring Alec Baldwin, Jamie Dornan and Christian Slater; Brave New World, formerly developed for USA and starring Demi Moore; the limited series Angelyne, from Esmail and starring Emmy Rossum and based on a Hollywood Reporter feature; and the thriller One of Us Is Lying. (The latter will be a pilot.)
On the comedy front, the original roster includes an updated take on Saved by the Bell from Tracey Wigfield (Great News); Rutherford Falls, co-created by Mike Schur (The Good Place), Ed Helms and Sierra Teller Ornelas and starring Helms; the pilot Straight Talk, from Rashida Jones and starring Jada Pinkett Smith; a Punky Brewster sequel (also a pilot) starring Soleil Moon Frye; and the second movie spinoff of Psych. Those join the previously announced NBC import A.P. Bio on the service.
On the unscripted front, the platform includes the SNL docuseries Who Wrote That, from creator Lorne Michaels; an original talk show from Jimmy Fallon; a weekly late-night show starring Amber Ruffin from Seth Meyers; and a spinoff of Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise.
Details on pricing and a formal launch date will be announced later. The platform will also feature news and sports content that also will be revealed in the weeks and months to come.
Peacock is the latest arrival in the increasingly crowded streaming space as established media brands like Comcast, Disney and WarnerMedia look to compete in the digital era with players including Amazon and upstart Apple. The strategy to lean into the larger company’s brand and IP is the backbone of Disney+ and WarnerMedia’s HBO Max. Disney+, for example, will be the streaming home of Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm library titles as well as new series in those universes.
(Excerpt) Read more in: The Hollywood Reporter