Peacock’s Nuclear Option: Stealing ‘SNL’ From NBC

Comcast is still waiting for Peacock to take flight. After two years of operation, the platform has just 13 million paying subscribers. While Peacock seems to have stalled out against the competition, there is one move it could make to push itself forward in the streaming wars: Peacock could steal “Saturday Night Live” from NBC.

While Peacock has been spinning its wheels in the original programming department, its strongest assets are the content users can’t see anywhere else: WWE events like Wrestlemania and sports like English Premier League and the Olympics. SNL would provide a weekly event worth watching, and the short-form nature of the sketches could work well as an algorithmically-fed TikTok-style feed within the app. SNL is already one of the most popular shows on Peacock — moving it to the platform exclusively would give Peacock something no other streamer could match.

Starting next month, NBC is shifting the long-running soap opera “Days of Our Lives” to become a Peacock exclusive. And rival streamer Disney+ is pulling “Dancing With the Stars” off ABC to make it a streaming exclusive. In each case, a streaming platform is taking a long-running series and hoping to absorb its loyal audience.

After nearly 50 years on the air, SNL still managed to be the #1 entertainment program last season in the 18-49 demo. Moving it to Peacock might bring those coveted viewers to the platform. What’s more, moving off network TV could afford the show some additional creative freedom. Without limits on time, profanity, or content, SNL could push the boundaries of its form. The show wouldn’t have to stretch sketches longer than necessary to fill time between commercials. Musical guests could get additional (uncensored) songs. There would be opportunities to remake SNL for the next 50 years.

There are certainly reasons SNL wouldn’t make the leap. Creator Lorne Michaels seems content to keep the show on NBC. Given his stature at the network, NBC wouldn’t want to anger him. As with the “Dancing With the Stars” move, local affiliates would be upset at losing a strong evening program. And at a time when broadcast TV needs every eyeball it can muster, it may seem counterintuitive to let SNL bounce to streaming.

But should Michaels retire, that could open up a power vacuum surrounding the show. A new producer might be more willing to make a fully digital pivot. NBCUniversal could force the transition. Or Michaels might decide to kill the program, rather than have the show leave its broadcast home. SNL has withstood all kinds of obstacles in the past, but with a 77-year-old man at the helm, it’s reasonable to wonder about its future.

Sign Up

peacocktv.com

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.

…

Peacock includes news, entertainment, sports, late-night, and reality from various NBCU properties including NBC, Bravo, and E!.

Peacock also includes the entire library of Bravo shows and has exclusives like “Below Deck: Down Under.” They also include live and on-demand access to Hallmark channels.

The company has acquired the rights to many classic shows like “Parks and Recreation,” and the entire Dick Wolf library including “Law & Order” and “Chicago Fire.”

The service also features blockbusters and critically-acclaimed films from Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination and content acquired from Hollywood’s biggest studios.

Sign Up

$5.99+ / month

peacocktv.com