This is what 2020 was supposed to look like on Peacock. Streaming beautiful images of cityscapes, and packed stadiums and seeing athletes embrace the stage in triumph. Instead, it launched with a couple of original shows that went nowhere and a collection of programming and movies owned by Comcast along with the hopes that The Office made Netflix popular vs the idea that Netflix was the perfect vessel for The Office.
The results were not surprising. Peacock got off to a slow start and had very little identity at rollout. It didn’t even have much in the way of exclusive programming. In the years since Comcast has pulled more of its big shows like Saturday Night Live and others onto to the streamer and away from their old streaming home, Hulu, which used to be part owned by Comcast.
Whether this all translates into long-term subscribers remains to be seen, but the 2024 Olympics has paid off big time so far. Steven Melendez reported in Fast Company that Peacock reported higher viewership for the first four days of the Paris games than the combined viewership of the entire 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo and 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.”
It helps to have a crowd. Sports during the lockdowns did not feel the same. It felt like watching a closed practice to see people in empty stadiums playing basketball or doing gymnastics. No cheering, no singing or whistling. This Olympics not only has the crowds back, it has storylines that have captivated audiences so far, like Simone Biles and her comeback story or even the men’s gymnastics team winning a medal for the first time since 2008. The games have also featured meme-worthy characters like the “Hitman” Olympic shooter, The “Clark Kent” gymnast, and even the super-spirited French fans who sing along with each event like they are watching their favorite bands. Olympic Basketball has also been a highlight thanks to the dominant women’s team and the presence of so many NBA players across the men’s tournament backed by the commentary of Dwayne Wade and Noah Eagle. It also has not hurt that the US is performing particularly well. As of right now, the US has 75 medals including 19 gold.
The Peacock app has proven fun to use and easy to navigate. The decision to break the Olympics into its own section and then more so, break each event down into its own category makes it the easiest way by far to find the specific sports or athletes one wants to follow. And for the general viewer who wants the action on in the background or those who just want to see the most monumental moments the Gold Zone, which seems fashioned after The NFL’s Red Zone zips viewers from one major moment after another all day.
So bravo Peacock. If it can’t keep people coming back for the rest of its programming then NBC Sports has at least shown the way to use streaming to bring multiple sports and multiple perspectives to the forefront in a way that has never been done before. Having every sport available live and on-demand gives viewers the feel of having 25 separate channels for the price of one. And if Peacock does not make it in the end we know the Olympics will be in safe hands with NBC sports going forward.
