Peacock’s Exclusive NFL Wild Card Game Reportedly Drove More Subscriber Sign-Ups Than Any Event in Streaming History
According to Antenna, Peacock grew by 2.8 million subscribers over the Wild Card weekend which saw it stream the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs game.
NBCUniversal definitely ruffled the feathers of NFL fans by putting one of the two Wild Card games it held the rights to in the 2023-24 NFL playoffs exclusively on Peacock for national audiences. The social media reaction from fans was one of puzzlement and annoyance, but new data released by Antenna shows that despite the gripes, audiences followed the game to Peacock to such an extent that the service broke the record for the largest single subscriber-acquisition moment ever measured in streaming history.
- Antenna’s preliminary analysis suggests that Peacock gained 2.8 million subscribers during Wild Card Weekend.
- The game drew more than 23 million viewers across the United States according to NBCU.
- NFL officials have already made clear that they saw the game as a success, and more streaming-exclusive games are likely.
Just How Successful Was Peacock’s Exclusive NFL Wild Card Game?
Antenna’s data shows that Peacock drew more subscribers to its service than any other single streaming event since the analytics firm began measuring streaming data. Even past Super Bowls that were available on streamers like Peacock and Paramount+ — albeit non-exclusively — did not draw as many new customers to the service as the Jan. 13 Wild Card game between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs.
Peacock acquired 2.8 million subscribers between Jan. 12 and Jan. 14, according to Antenna’s preliminary analysis. This number could even grow, as the analysis firm will not officially report data for the game until mid-February, so its figures are not yet completely finalized.
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The numbers reinforce NBC’s claim that the game drew the biggest audience of any livestreamed event in the history of the United States. It drew 23 million viewers to Peacock according to NBC, and the league has already taken note of how well the game did as a streaming exclusive.
Will Peacock Keep These New Subscribers?
Perhaps the best news of all for Peacock is that it has a decent chance to keep these new subscribers as paying customers for the long haul. Numbers released as part of a November Antenna survey indicate that 61% of NFL fans who signed up for the service between Weeks 1 and 3 of the 2022 regular season stayed subscribed for the next year, higher than its benchmark subscriber rate. WWE wrestling and English Premier League soccer also drew above-average loyal subscribers for Peacock, according to Antenna.
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Since football fans who subscribed for the Wild Card won’t have any live NFL games to look forward to on Peacock until September, observers might expect it to lose some of these customers at a faster rate than normal. However, the streamer offered a deep discount on its annual plan in the days leading up to the game, and if a substantial portion of the new subscribers opted for this deal, they would already be subscribed to Peacock for the entirety of the 2024 regular season.
NFL Media executive Hans Schroeder has already made clear that the league was thrilled by the results of Peacock’s streaming-exclusive Wild Card game, which should serve as warning to fans that they can expect more such games in the future. Peacock reportedly paid $110 million to stream the game exclusively for a national audience, but NBCU executives are likely calling that money well spent after seeing the subscriber totals that it brought.
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.