NBC's Peacock will stream some CBS, BET, CW shows and Paramount movies
NBCUniversal struck a licensing deal for Peacock to stream some programming from ViacomCBS, which operates its own rival streaming service CBS All Access.
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Peacock launches in the US nationwide on July 15.
Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming service launching nationwide in two weeks, will stream shows that originally ran on CBS, Showtime and the CW, as well as certain classic Paramount movies through a licensing deal with ViacomCBS, the companies said Thursday.
ViacomCBS runs a constellation of TV networks and the Paramount movie studio -- as well as its own CBS All Access streaming service that competes with Peacock. (Note: ViacomCBS is the parent company of CNET.)
The TV series licensed to Peacock -- which include Showtime fare like Ray Donovan and CW shows Everybody Hates Chris -- will continue to be available to watch on ViacomCBS' own services. But Peacock will get some periods of exclusivity to stream certain Paramount movies. A pipeline of Paramount movies are set to start streaming on Peacock this year through 2023, and the deal includes the likes of The Godfather trilogy.
At launch, Peacock will stream full seasons of the shows Ray Donovan, The Affair, Undercover Boss, The Game, Everybody Hates Chris and Real Husbands of Hollywood at launch. In October, Peacock will add Charmed to stream. The full list of licensed Paramount films wasn't available, but some of the titles include the aforementioned Godfather trilogy, Catch Me If You Can, The Talented Mr. Ripley, American Beauty, Patriot Games, Last Holiday, Fatal Attraction, The Firm, An Officer and a Gentleman and more.
Peacock originally seemed to orient its streaming hopes on programming linked to its own networks and studios under the umbrella of parent company Comcast, with a library including titles like The Office and Parks and Recreation, movies from Dreamworks Animation and Universal, and a slate of originals that often taps into the company's talent alumni.
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But Wednesday's licensing news with ViacomCBS indicates Peacock is aiming to act more as an aggregator, with less of a fixation on becoming a dedicated hub for its own programming and franchises, a la Disney Plus.
Peacock is NBC's combatant in the so-called streaming wars, a seven-month window when media giants and tech titans are releasing a raft of new streaming services to take on Netflix. In the case of Peacock, it means even traditional TV networks and cable companies like Comcast are placing big bets that they'll never be able to turn the tide of cord-cutting. More than just skirmishes between megacorporations, these competitive battles will determine who shapes the future of television as well as how many services you'll have to pay for to watch your favorite shows.
NBC launched a "sneak peek" version of its Peacock streaming service in April for certain Comcast customers, ahead of its national, full launch July 15. Peacock will have a free, limited tier that lets you watch about half of its library with advertising. A $5-a-month subscription to Peacock Premium unlocks the full library with ads, and a $10-a-month version of Premium makes it ad-free.
ViacomCBS licensed programming will stream on Peacock's free and paid tiers both.
CBS All Access is planning a reboot this summer, which will upgrade its design and widen the programming available, ahead of a plan to rename the service. ViacomCBS also operates other streaming services, such as paid-service Noggin based on its Nick Jr. programming and Pluto TV, a free streaming service supported by ads.
