Netflix Loses Another Big License as ‘30 Rock’ Heads Home to Peacock
It’s been a tough year for Netflix. The first quarter of 2022 saw the streaming service lose 200,000 subscribers, then it hit a wall with an attempt to curb customers' password sharing habits. Now the streamer struggles to keep licenses in hand as the popular comedy show “30 Rock” returns to its original parent company.
As of Saturday, July 31, all seven seasons of the comedy gem will transfer over to Peacock, bringing “30 Rock” back home to NBC. The series was on-air from 2006 to 2013, garnering 16 Emmys in the process for show creator Tina Fey, co-stars Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan and a cast of eccentric characters. While the show didn’t even rank in Nielsen's Top 10 Netflix streaming programs, its past success still marks the move as a big loss for the streamer.
30 Rock
Liz Lemon, the head writer for a late-night TV variety show in New York, tries to juggle all the egos around her while chasing her own dream.
Netflix has been facing a content loss problem for some time as its longer-held licenses are beginning to expire. Last month saw the exit of one of the streamer’s most popular offerings as “Criminal Minds” also fled to the NBC digital platform. The streamer’s customers are becoming less satisfied with its service as it continually drops popular shows, especially when compared to its competitors such as Disney+ and HBO Max.
In addition, Netflix is attempting to renegotiate the dwindling number of licenses it still holds to take advantage of ad revenue for its upcoming ad-supported subscription tier. If arrangements can’t be made, the streamer may end up having content hidden behind a premium paywall when companies refuse to let their content run with advertisements.
Alongside Peacock, all seven seasons of “30 Rock” will also be available on Hulu and the Roku Channel.