NBCU plumps up Peacock with non-exclusive ViacomCBS programming

Ray Donovan

NBCUniversal (NBCU) has picked up a raft of ViacomCBS movies and TV shows for its soon-to-launch streamer Peacock.

The service will launch on 15 July in the US with a free tier offering more than 7,500 hours of content, an ad-supported premium tier with 15,000 hours of content (including live sports such as the English Premier League) and an ad-free premium tier.

Now that content library is being bolstered with the addition of hit shows including Ray Donovan, The Affair, Undercover Boss and Real Husbands Of Hollywood, which will all be available with the launch of the service while simultaneously being available on ViacomCBS platforms such as AVOD PlutoTV.

Other shows, such as Charmed will launch at a later date.

The Affair

In addition, the deal will see films from the Paramount library streaming on Peacock in limited exclusivity windows throughout 2021, 2022 and 2023. The films highlighted by NBCU are all older titles, including The Godfather trilogy, Patriot Games and Fatal Attraction.

Frances Manfredi, president of content acquisition & strategy at Peacock, said: “We are truly excited to bring some of the most popular movies and series from across the ViacomCBS family of brands to Peacock. We continue to expand the Peacock catalog with premium programming from NBCUniversal and beyond; partnering with companies like ViacomCBS to ensure that all of our viewers can choose from the best entertainment options available in the market today.”

Dan Cohen, president of ViacomCBS global distribution group, added: “This agreement with Peacock demonstrates the incredible and enduring value of ViacomCBS content,” said “The partnership we are announcing today is consistent with our strategy to maximize the value of our content by selectively licensing our library product to third parties while prioritizing franchise IP for our own platforms.”

Such a big distribution deal is interesting from a ViacomCBS perspective, given that CEO Bob Bakish earlier this month admitted his company would look to retain more rights to its programming as it prepares to roll out a new ‘house of brands’ streaming service of its own in 2021.

The offering will effectively be a reimagining of the existing CBS All Access product and offer 30,000 hours of content at launch.