Who Owns Peacock?

Peacock was developed by NBCUniversal as the company's response to the streaming revolution that had disrupted traditional television. By the late 2010s, Netflix had over 150 million subscribers globally, Disney was preparing to launch Disney+, and AT&T was developing HBO Max. NBCUniversal, which had been licensing its content to Netflix and other platforms, recognized that it needed its own streaming service to retain the value of its content library.

The service was named after NBC's iconic multicolored peacock logo, which has been associated with NBC since 1956 when the network introduced color broadcasting. The peacock name connected the new streaming service to NBC's broadcast heritage while signaling its ambitions as a premium entertainment destination.

Peacock launched on July 15, 2020, with a distinctive three-tier pricing model: a free ad-supported tier (Peacock Free), a premium ad-supported tier (Peacock Premium), and a premium ad-free tier (Peacock Premium Plus). The free tier was unusual in the streaming market, where most services required subscriptions, and was designed to maximize reach and advertising revenue.

The launch timing was challenging, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, which had disrupted content production and delayed the availability of new programming. However, the pandemic also drove increased demand for streaming content as people stayed home, which benefited Peacock's subscriber growth.

Peacock's content strategy was built around NBCUniversal's extensive library, including classic NBC series, Universal Pictures films, and content from cable networks like Bravo, USA Network, and Syfy. A key early win was securing exclusive streaming rights to "The Office," one of the most-watched shows on Netflix, which moved to Peacock in January 2021.

In 2022, Peacock secured exclusive streaming rights to WWE programming, a significant sports content acquisition that drove subscriber growth. The service also became the exclusive streaming home for Premier League soccer in the United States, a major sports rights deal that attracted sports fans to the platform.

By 2024, Peacock had grown to approximately 34 million paid subscribers, making it a significant player in the streaming market, though still considerably smaller than Netflix (over 300 million subscribers) and Disney+ (over 150 million subscribers). Comcast has been investing heavily in Peacock's content and technology to drive further growth.