‘Twisted Metal’ Does Big Numbers for Peacock; Is Service Finally Finding its Footing Following String of Hits?
Peacock officially has another mega-hit on its hands. The service is drawing big audiences for its new original series “Twisted Metal,” the adaptation of the popular 1990s and 2000s video game franchise that premiered on NBCUniversal’s streaming service on July 27, with all episodes available to stream now.
According to data from Parrot Analytics, “Twisted Metal” generated 29.6 times the average demand a TV show drives during the week of July 29 - Aug. 4. That put it third on the list of demand-generating shows in that time frame, behind only Max’s “My Adventures with Superman” and Disney+’s “Secret Invasion.” Nielsen data reported by Deadline shows that the series drew 400 million minutes of streaming time in its first week, and it has become Peacock’s most-binged comedy series to date.
The ratings show that Peacock might be hitting its stride, content-wise. This year, the service has released three bonafide ratings hits in the Natasha Lyonne-helmed mystery series “Poker Face,” the artificial intelligence-themed dramatic comedy “Mrs. Davis” and now “Twisted Metal.” Original content is a key way that customers differentiate one streaming platform from another, so having a continuing lineup of hit original shows is an important step to streaming success for Peacock.
The service is continuing its impressive rate of growth, including the announcement during NBCU’s last earnings report that it had grown to 24 million paid users. These titles have also helped Peacock to justify the first price increase in its history, which was handed down in July. Despite the increase in expense, Peacock remains one of the cheapest on-demand streaming platforms at $5.99 per month for its ad-supported tier.
Live sports is also proving to be a differentiator for Peacock, especially as it gets set for the opening weekend of English Premier League soccer. Putting big-name live sports like the NFL’s “Sunday Night Football” and all the other live offerings on the platform like golf, cycling, tennis, and the 2024 Summer Olympics next to original titles such as “Twisted Metal” will only help Peacock continue to grow.
The big ratings driven by “Twisted Metal” also help to show once again that streaming might be the perfect medium for video game adaptations. HBO’s “The Last of Us” essentially saw its audience grow with every episode when it premiered on Max (HBO Max at the time) when it debuted in January. Adapting games into series allows writers to more fully develop the story that audiences who loved the games will know, which also allows new fans to get attached to the show more easily.
“Twisted Metal” stars Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz, and all 10 episodes of Season 1 are available to stream on Peacock now. Fans will want to make sure they’re subscribed before Sep. 7 for the start of the NFL season, and there’s clearly plenty of content to watch on the service until then, from breakout original series to blockbuster Universal films like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”
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.