Peacock Chairman Says Tokyo Olympics Will Be ‘Meaningful Driver’ For The Service
In a recent interview, Matt Strauss, chairman of Peacock, predicted that the Tokyo Olympics will be a “meaningful driver” of growth for the streaming service.
Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, predicts that Peacock could see a 30% increase in its user base with the help of the Olympics.
“I view it as a watershed event for Peacock,” he said.
Peacock will begin hosting coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on July 15 — several days before the Opening Ceremonies themselves take place.
The streaming service already promises an impressive lineup of content, including coverage of gymnastics, track & field, and US men’s basketball. You will also be able to watch original content, daily live shows, and replays.
The streaming service has plans outside of the Olympics as well. Strauss spoke about the service’s growth in a recent interview. Reflecting on Peacock’s first year, Strauss said, “I feel like we’re in a much better place with the service.” Going into year two, the company wants to find more ways to bring in subscribers and keep them coming back. “Right now our focus has been more on scale, but one thing we do well as a company is upsell people,” Strauss said. “That is an opportunity for us in the future.”
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” and “The Office,” as well as original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports including NFL, MLB, WWE, Olympics, Premier League, NASCAR, French Open, College Football and Basketball, and PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.
Brian Roberts, Comcast Chief Executive Officer, plays a major role in decisions at Peacock. Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said Roberts is a part of the streaming service’s strategy meetings “to talk about what we should be doing differently.” NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell shares a similar role and stated that Peacock isn’t a separate business. He said, “It is a complementary back end to a lot of our businesses.”
Going forward, Peacock is looking to offer more of what its viewers want to see. For example, Strauss said that Below Deck Mediterranean will air on Peacock a week before it airs on Bravo. 60 new original series are also airing on the platform, further expanding its offerings and drawing in new subscribers.
“We’re doubling down on investing in content that our consumers like,” Lazarus said. The Olympics are one way for Peacock to determine which type of content to offer going forward. Both the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics are predicted to give the company a boost.