To promote the launch of its upcoming Peacock streaming service, NBC has released trailers for nine of its upcoming programs, which contain a mix of original ideas and returning classics. For the past several years, the streaming wars have been building to a fever pitch, with new services like Disney+ cutting into the market share of giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Upcoming services like HBO Max look to challenge Netflix's dominance even further.
Peacock is the latest streaming service to enter the ring, with an assortment of syndicated programming from NBC Universal (but not Friends, which has found itself allied with HBO Max). In addition to NBC classics like The Office and Parks & Recreation - which will be removed from Netflix over the course of 2020 and 2021 - Peacock will also include original programming, with several shows serving as long-awaited revivals of dormant brands like Punky Brewster and Saved by the Bell.
Peacock launches in July, but Xfinity customers have early access to the highly anticipated streaming service, and to mark the occasion, the Peacock Twitter has released trailers for nine of the fledgling app's original programs. The trailers include Saved by the Bell, Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, AP Bio, The Capture, Brave New World, Intelligence, Madagascar: A Little Wild, Angelyne, and Punky Brewster. This deluge of trailers helps soften the blow that most of Peacock's original programming has been delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis. Check out the trailer for Peacock and its new and returning series below.
It's a strong lineup of programming that includes cult classics, provocative originals, fan-favorite revivals, and edgy dramas, but will it be enough for audiences to sign up for yet another streaming service? One factor potentially working in Peacock's favor is its three-tiered approach to subscription: a free version with ads but less programming, a $5 per month plan with ads, and a $10 per month plan with no commercials at all. It's more expensive than Disney+, but the network is on course to feature a greater breadth of original content, while, The Mandalorian aside, Disney+ is far more reliant on its back catalogue of classic films (for now, anyway).
The Peacock app will have a lot to prove when it fully launches this summer, but their roster of original content looks like it can hold its own against any network on television. With coronavirus keeping customers at home, television fanatics are constantly on the hunt for new programming. The outside cinema experience has gone dormant in 2020, and audiences have no choice but to watch movies and TV from the comfort of home. If it's properly supported and user-friendly, an app like Peacock should pair nicely with a daily routine of shelter-in-place and social distancing.
Source: Peacock