NBCU’s Peacock Ready for European Debut

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NBC Universal (NBCU)’s streaming service Peacock will come to Sky customers in Europe later this year, marking the first international expansion for the US streamer that launched in mid-2020.

Details on the International Deal

The deal between the two Comcast-owned companies followed news that Peacock had amassed 54 million sign-ups since launch and 20 million monthly active users for the quarter. Comcast said that Peacock will debut across Sky platforms including Sky Q, Now, and Sky Ticket later this year across the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland.

All Sky TV customers will gain access to the ad-supported version of Peacock at no additional cost, while Peacock will be bundled as part of the entertainment membership on Now and Sky Ticket. NBCU said that the international version of the service will offer shows including The Office (US), Rutherford Falls, the rebooted Saved By The Bell, Kardashians, and Young Rock.

Pricing Policy

While this is the first international expansion of Peacock, NBCU is yet to mention whether it plans to offer Peacock as a standalone service like it does in the US. As such, there is no indication as to how much Peacock’s pricing structure could look like, or whether it will follow the US model of offering three tiers ranging from free to a premium ad-free tier.

Jeff Shell, NBCU’s CEO, said: “Comcast’s Xfinity has been integral to the success of our go-to-market strategy with Peacock in the US, and we see a similar opportunity to expand internationally with Sky.”

Catalogue of Shows

Shell said Peacock would “add incredible value” to Sky customers “with a premium catalogue of the best entertainment from across NBC Universal that is included with their subscription.” Dana Strong, group CEO of Sky, added: “Peacock will be a great addition for Sky customers with over 7,000 hours of content at no additional cost. This exceptional value add is another example of the great ways we are innovating to bring more benefits to our customers from the synergies across Sky, NBC Universal, and Comcast Cable.”

The announcement came as Comcast revealed its results for the quarter. Sky’s group revenue increased by 28% to $5.2bn. Direct-to-consumer revenue increased 7.7% to $4.2bn, driven by higher average revenue per user (ARPU) due to lower subscription rates in 2020, when sports were postponed.