Peacock’s Sports Help Comcast Climb

NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is helping its parent company Comcast soar to new heights, according to the company’s latest earnings report.

Comcast reported revenue of $27.2 billion in Q1 2021 — a $600 million increase year-over-year — thanks in part to Peacock.

The service now has 42 million subscribers in the U.S., up from 33 million in Q4 2020. 

Comcast credits much of that growth to its exclusive World Wrestling Entertainment rights. In January, Peacock struck a five-year deal with WWE valued at more than $1 billion with WWE. The move brought over 1.2 million subscribers from the now-defunct WWE Network.

WrestleMania 37, held earlier this month, was the most-viewed live event in Peacock history.

Exact viewership numbers were not disclosed, but the No. 1 ranking is notable because the service also carries Premier League matches and select NFL games. 

Peacock expects to spend at least $2 billion in its first two years to build its offerings. It also recently secured exclusive rights to stream the 2021 Premier Lacrosse League season. In a landmark moment for the sport, PLL merged with Major League Lacrosse in December.