Which streaming stories did you miss this week?
Which streaming stories did you miss this week?
A major American streamer is set to turn a profit for the first time in the coming months, and more streaming stories you may have missed this week.
And suddenly, it’s June. Not only has the first official month of summer arrived, but a host of top sports events have begun, as well. The NBA and NHL Finals are now officially underway, and soccer fans are getting hyped for the beginning of the 2026 FIFA World Cup next week.
If your week has been consumed by sports media, or if you just haven’t been as plugged into the world of streaming as you normally are, read on. We’ve assembled our weekly list of streaming stories you might have missed below!
Which streaming stories did you miss this week?
Peacock to reach profitability in Q2
It’s been a tough road to profitability for Peacock, which has seen competitors like Disney+, HBO Max, and Paramount+ surge into the black while it remains firmly in the red. The streamer lost more than $400 million in the first quarter, but a big rebound is on the way in Q2.
NBCUniversal Media chairman Matt Strauss said at the Evercore Global TMT conference on Tuesday that Peacock will achieve profitability for the first time in the second quarter. Strauss called the news a “validation of the strategy that we’ve had from the beginning,” and said it was a “big milestone” for Peacock.
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,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.
NHL readying for broadcast rights talks
The NHL is gearing up for a new round of broadcast rights negotiations. The league’s national TV contracts with ESPN and TNT are set to expire at the end of the 2027-28 season, so it is now preparing to enter its exclusive negotiating window with those partners to determine whether or not it will stay with them in the future.
Those deals are currently worth $4.5 billion total, and the NHL will clearly want a raise over that figure. NHL viewership is historically strong, but if ESPN and TNT do not reach deals with the league during the exclusive negotiating window, the NHL’s national broadcast rights will head to the open market. The 2026 Stanley Cup Finals are currently airing on ABC.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| ABC | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ESPN | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| TNT | + $24 | - | + $61 | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Big League Wiffle Ball announces deals with Fubo, ESPN
The first and only professional wiffle ball league in the world now has a TV deal. As announced on Wednesday, Big League Wiffle Ball has agreed to a broadcast deal with ESPN platforms, as well as Fubo’s free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel Fubo Sports Network.
Live competition begins on Sunday, June 7, with games to be played on Fubo Sports Network, ESPN2, ESPN+, and regional sports networks Angels Baseball TV, Chicago Sports Network, NESN, and SportsNet Pittsburgh. Gray Media channels in Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Ohio will also be offering games.
Anna Kendrick to direct ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’
The Taylor Jenkins Reid novel “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” became a major hit with readers, and now it’s heading to streaming audiences. On Monday, Deadline exclusively reported that Anna Kendrick was lined up to direct the film adaptation of the novel, which will stream on Netflix.
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” follows a young journalist’s interview with aging Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo. It dives deeply into her seven marriages, unveiling shocking truths about her life and the lives of everyone in her wake in the process.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”
HBO launches ‘Game of Thrones’ mobile game with rewards for watching ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3
Warner Bros. Discovery is preparing for the release of “House of the Dragon” Season 3 on June 21. To tie in with that release, the company is announcing the launch of a new mobile game titled “Game of Thrones: Dragonfire,” a first-of-its-kind collaboration between HBO and Warner Bros. Games.
Players who link their “Game of Thrones: Dragonfire” accounts with their HBO Max subscriptions will earn escalating rewards in the game by watching “House of the Dragon” Season 3. Each additional episode watched unlocks a bespoke reward, and a premium reward will be available for those who watch the full season of the show.
HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library and exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Within HBO Max, B/R Sports allows users to watch live NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.
Philo now offering ad-free HBO Max with Bundle+ plan
Last September, the live TV streaming service Philo began including HBO Max with ads with its core channel package. On Tuesday, the streamer announced that it was upgrading the included HBO Max subscription to ad-free.
Philo Bundle+ customers can now upgrade to the HBO Max Standard plan, allowing viewers to stream on-demand titles on the service without ads. In addition, the HBO Max Standard plan offers live sports from TNT, TBS, and truTV. Philo customers can head to their Account page to upgrade their HBO Max subscription from ad-supported to ad-free.
Philo
Philo is a live TV streaming service designed for entertainment lovers, offering flexible ways to watch without the high price of traditional TV bundles. The service now features two paid plans — Essential and Bundle+ — alongside its existing free streaming offering, giving customers a range of options depending on how much live and premium content they want.
Announcements and trailers
‘The Drop: A Snowfall Saga’ coming to FX and Hulu this year
On Tuesday, FX announced the official title for the spinoff to its popular drama series “Snowfall.” The show will be called “The Drop: A Snowfall Saga,” and will follow “Snowfall” characters Wanda (Gail Bean) and Leon (Isaiah John) as they attempt to take West Coast rap mainstream in the 1990s.
“The God of the Woods” casts Maya Hawke
Netflix is moving toward production on its adaptation of the 2024 Liz Moore novel “The God of the Woods.” Last Friday, the streamer announced that Maya Hawke will step into the role of Judy Luptack, the first female investigator in the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Kerry Condon will also star as Alice Van Laar in the adaptation, which centers on the disappearance of a 13-year-old girl from her summer camp.