Comcast NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service said it will be adding live streams of NBC affiliates' programming to its Premium Plus subscriber tier.
A new live-stream channel will be available in all 210 markets and show station programming exactly as it is broadcast, including local news, sports and weather reports, as well as network and syndicated shows.
The offering appears to be similar to Paramount Global’s Paramount Plus, which offers its premium subscribers live feeds of CBS affiliates, which has proved especially attractive because of NFL football telecasts.
Peacock has been lagging behind other streaming services in terms of subscribers. Comcast NBCUniversal recently announced that it has 15 million subscribers, far behind Netflix and Disney, which have more than 200 million subscribers. In the third quarter, Peacock lost $614 million on revenues of $506 million.
Peacock recently added next-day streaming of programs on NBC and its cable channels including Bravo, which had been available on Hulu.
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“With Peacock’s local affiliate livestream, our subscribers are getting the unique combination of the ad-free on-demand content they love with the local news and NBC programming that is already part of their daily life,” said Kelly Campbell, president, Peacock and direct-to-consumer, NBCUniversal. “NBC affiliates have long been an integral part of local communities, and we look forward to being another point of connection and engagement for those communities across the country.”
Peacock is hoping adding the affiliate feed will persuade people to sign up for Peacock and opt for the paid, premium version, or upgrade from the free version.
“Our Affiliates have always been terrific partners as our industry evolves to meet our consumers’ expectations and viewing habits,” said Philip Martzolf, president, NBC Affiliate Relations. “This is an exciting new offering that expands our best-in-class broadcast and local programming to new audiences.”
Financial arrangements with the affiliates were not disclosed. Stations have been putting their newscasts on several streaming platforms including NewsOn, Stirr and VUit.
“Our NBC Affiliate stations are trusted destinations for our viewers to be entertained and informed,” said Eric Meyrowitz, executive VP, Hearst Television and chair of the NBC Affiliates Board. “This partnership elevates our commitment to our audiences by giving them another place to receive our local and NBC broadcast programming alongside Peacock’s original and unique content.”
As early as Tuesday, some Peacock Plus subscribers will be able to see their NBC local affiliate stations streaming on Peacock. All stations will be officially launched by November 30.
The streams are geo-targeted and appear on the Peacock channels page. ■
