As if Disney+ weren’t enough, there will be another Apple TV+ competitor from next April, in the form of NBCUniversal’s upcoming streaming service, Peacock …
We first learned back in January that the new service was on the way, though little was known then. The company shared in July that The Office would be exclusive to the service once the Netflix deal expires, and we’ve today learned a lot more – including the name of the service, after the network’s mascot.
The Hollywood Reporter has some details.
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.
Two hit shows will be streamed exclusively on Peacock, with many others set to follow once existing deals expire.
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, are 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.
Movies from Universal, DreamWorks Animation and Focus Features will also be included, though these won’t be exclusive.
There will also be a significant amount of original content.
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; limited series Angelyne, from Esmail and starring Emmy Rossum and based on a Hollywood Reporter feature; and thriller One of Us Is Lying.
More details on original shows over at THR.
What we don’t know yet is pricing,or the exact launch date.
There had been reports that Apple TV+ was going to cost $9.99/month, which made it look like a hard sell, but the company surprised with a $4.99/month price which CEO Tim Cook said should be thought of as the cost of a single movie rental. That – plus a one-year free trial with any iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV – has made it a lot more appealing, but it will still be interesting to see how it fares in the long-run given the rather frequent rate at which we are seeing each new Apple TV+ competitor announced.
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