NBCU considering $10 ad-free Peacock and signs kids deal with NENT Group

NBCUniversal is said to be considering a US$10 per month price for an ad-free version of its upcoming Peacock streamer. 

First reported by The Information, the broadcaster has largely been tight-lipped about its plans for Peacock since announcing it in September. The report goes on to say that the broadcaster is also considering an ad-supported tier at US$4.99 per month. 

It is likely that these figures are being considered as a means to undercut Hulu, which runs at US$5.99-$11.99 per month and will be seen as its closest competitor in terms of content makeup. 

This news also contradicts an earlier report that NBCU was considering giving Peacock away for free with ads. Peacock will have around 15,000 hours of content available, including Parks and Recreation, Cheers and The Office from 2021. 

Speaking during Comcast’s most recent earnings call, the media giant’s CEO said that he is confident that the streamer will get up to speed quickly. 

He said: “We’re not doing the same strategy that Netflix and people chasing Netflix have adopted. We’re primarily working with the existing ecosystem and doing a lot of AVOD activity. And what that’s going to do, we think, is to cut the investment pretty substantially because I think we’re going to get to cruising altitude much more quickly than a subscription service.”

NBCU has also signed a deal with Nordic Entertainment Group NENT Group, that will see a range of kids and family content available on the Viaplay streamer and Viasat pay TV.

Filippa Wallestam, NENT Group chief content officer, said: “High-quality kids content is a cornerstone of Viaplay’s unique offering, and this latest agreement with NBCUniversal means that our younger viewers can experience even more fantastic entertainment featuring their favourite characters. This has been a groundbreaking year for NENT Group, in which we have agreed long-term content partnerships with many of the world’s biggest studios. We look forward to bringing the best of Hollywood to audiences of all ages across the Nordic region for years to come.”