It’s been a while since I’ve said anything about Peacock. The streaming network came in hot with a $0 price point and reruns of The Office and then … sort of sputtered. It wasn’t their fault, really. Comcast, who owns Peacock, NBC, and Universal, had planned a splashy launch to coincide with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which didn’t actually happen until 2021. To say this took the wind out of Peacock’s sails is a bit of an understatement.
The app flew under the radar for a while, occasionally trotting out a winner like Girls5Eva which, if you ask me, has been criminally ignored. Meanwhile Ted Lasso gets all the respect. But, for the most part, there wasn’t much to watch on Peacock, and it seemed to be worth every cent of its zero dollar subscription price.
Signs of life from the Rainbow Network
The core of Peacock’s programming comes from NBC and Universal. Universal’s had a bit of a tough run itself. Its attempt to build a cinematic universe to compete with Marvel hit with a thud. Just the other day someone said to me, “did you know that Tom Cruise was in a version of The Mummy?” That’s how bad the movie flopped.
But, lately they’ve been starting to move the needle again. Universal has made the app its first stop for the movies it’s been rolling out, and that’s slowly increasing interest. First they were the exclusive home for The 355, a very serviceable action film with pretty much every desirable female action star working today. Now, it’s Jurassic World: Dominion, a film which didn’t fare well in critics’ eyes but still has a lot of interest from folks who remember the first film.
Honestly, this is where I think this app will eventually shine. Universal Pictures does, and continues to do, good work. I think that using Peacock as both a launchpad for new films and a place for the back catalog to live is a great option. Since the app’s lowest tier is free, it could be a great way to keep that back catalog earning money. And since HBO seems determined to take its older Warner assets offline, it’s a great way to show that there still is demand for older content.
Could Peacock have it right when everyone else has it wrong?
Look, if you read this column weekly, you’ll get the impression that I think pretty much alll streamers have gotten it wrong. HBO Max is plunging itself into the toilet, Netflix is too expensive, Hulu is too hard to use, and Disney just owns too much of everyone’s childhood. Even Prime Video, which is just a perk at heart, can’t seem to hold onto movies that Amazon itself owns.
And yet, in the midst of all that, here comes Peacock. I’ve been unkind to them in the past, but their combination of totally free and premium programming might just be the right move for 2022 and beyond. Considering that a lot of folks are projecting having less disposable income next year than they did this year, Peacock’s approach to value might just suit everyone.
