The Tokyo Olympics were supposed to start in July 2020, just 10 days after broadcast rights owner NBCUniversal launched its Peacock streaming service.
We know that didn’t go as planned, but sports have still proven essential for the nascent platform — and NBCU is excited for Peacock to finally get its Olympics boost this month.
The Olympics could increase Peacock’s user base by 30%, according to an estimate published in Bloomberg. As of late April, Peacock had about 42 million signups.
- All Peacock users will be able to watch live track and field, gymnastics, and curated Olympics highlights for free.
- Only Peacock Premium subscribers ($4.99/month) will be able to watch the USA men’s basketball team. Roughly 20% of the service’s 14 million active users are Premium members.
Earlier this year year, Peacock struck a five-year, $1 billion deal to stream WWE content. The service will stream the NFL’s “Sunday Night Football” games, as well.
Comcast said it will invest $2 billion in Peacock in its first two years.
In October, the company will have to negotiate to retain rights to the English Premier League, which it has owned since 2013. The current deal is worth about $150 million per year and expected to increase with any renewal.
Peacock will also stream the 2022 Olympics and Super Bowl in the first quarter of next year.
