Peacock and its parent company, Comcast Corp. CMCSA, are gearing up for a pivotal moment with the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Pacock's president, Kelly Campbell, is spearheading efforts with two dedicated task forces to attract viewers during the Games and ensure they remain engaged afterward.
With the opening ceremonies just days away, Campbell and her superiors believe the Olympics will significantly boost Peacock's position in the competitive streaming landscape against giants like Netflix Inc NFLX and Walt Disney Co's DIS Disney+, Bloomberg reports.
"This is going to be a defining moment for Peacock," Campbell said in a recent interview. Over a 19-day period, Peacock will exclusively stream every Olympic event for U.S. viewers, offering thousands of hours of live and on-demand content, including a high-tech morning recap narrated by an AI-synthesized version of Al Michaels' voice.
For NBCUniversal, Comcast's media division, the stakes are high. The division, which owns several cable networks like Bravo, E!, and USA, faces significant pressure as viewers continue to shift from traditional TV bundles to streaming services, Bloomberg writes.
Comcast has invested billions into Peacock, yet it still trails behind competitors like Netflix and Walt Disney.
Comcast had intended to use the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to launch Peacock, but the pandemic delayed the launch. Despite the setbacks, the service launched in July 2020.
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Unlike other streaming services, Peacock started as a free, ad-supported platform with optional paid tiers. Initially, it struggled to attract subscribers without the Olympic boost, but the pandemic created a captive audience that drove growth.
In a strategic meeting in 2021, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts approved increased investments in Peacock, including more original content, movies, and sports.
The platform has since reclaimed popular series and movies and released hit originals like "Poker Face" and "The Best Man: The Final Chapters." Peacock has also secured exclusive rights to major sports events, including NBA and NFL games, bolstering its appeal.
Peacock now costs $7.99 a month following price increases to fund new programming. Despite high churn rates, the service continues to attract new subscribers, partly due to its strategic releases during major sporting events.
The upcoming Olympics will feature promotions for new shows like "Fight Night" and "The Day of the Jackal," leveraging the excitement of the Games to retain viewers.
With 34 million subscribers as of March, Peacock outperforms some rivals in U.S. viewership.
Comcast stock has lost more than 5% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via IShares U.S. Telecommunications ETF IYZ and Vanguard Communication Services ETF VOX.
Price Action: CMCSA shares were trading lower by 3.04% at $38.93 premarket at the last check on Tuesday.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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