Peacock enters streaming fray with paid, free subscriptions

AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES — Peacock is joining the streaming world with a few feathers plucked from its intended array of original programs.

Amid a stubborn, industry-wide production halt forced by the coronavirus, Peacock subscribers have to wait for a reimagined “Battlestar Galactica,” the podcast-based “Dr. Death” with Jamie Dornan and Alec Baldwin, and reboots of “Saved by the Bell” and “Punky Brewster.”

Nine new programs will be released on Peacock’s launch day, Wednesday, bolstered by some 20,000 hours of library fare from its parent company, NBCUniversal, along with outside acquisitions. Besides TV shows and movies that viewers already know and love, including “The Office,” “Cheers” and “The Matrix,” sports and news are an uncommon part of the mix.

“We always saw the value proposition of Peacock being significantly broader than just the originals,” said Matt Strauss, its chairman. For the budget-conscious, that includes a no-fee option.

Peacock joins a streaming field that has dramatically expanded with recent additions Disney+, Apple+ and HBO Max joining the old-guard that includes Netflix, Hulu and Amazon.

THAT’S RIGHT, FREE

Peacock, which draws its name from the venerable NBC logo, nods to its broadcast sibling with a free version but with limited programming. It also comes with commercials that will be capped at five minutes per hour, well under half of that carried by network and cable channels.

A full-access subscription with ads is $4.99 monthly, while $9.99 a month buys an ad-free version, Peacock Premium. Both will carry live sports, with the latter to include exclusive Premier League soccer games.

Peacock chair Strauss is bullish on the no-cost option, particularly given the toll that fallout from COVID-19 is taking on the economy: “I think that you’re seeing an increased number of people looking for affordable options.”