NBC Universal Signs Deal to Bring Peacock Streaming App to Roku
NBC Universal's ad-free streaming service will now be available on Roku devices thanks to a new deal between the two companies.
Sept. 22 2020, Updated 10:06 a.m. ET
The ad-based streaming service Peacock is now available to stream through all Roku devices thanks to a new deal between Roku and NBC Universal, according to a Bloomberg report. This comes after months of negotiation between the two companies and their previous deal ending on September 1.
However, it's unclear how the new deal benefits Roku. Even though not all aspects of the partnership have been made public, according to Yahoo News, Roku typically takes 30 percent of ad revenue from streaming services. However, NBC wanted to keep all the ad revenue it gains.
Plus, NBC and Roku have agreed to display ads for less than five minutes per every hour of content. With the limited ad time, it's even harder to see how Roku will financially gain much from the deal.
But Roku is a giant in the streaming world. With 43 million active users, it's the largest aggregation streaming platform in the U.S. Not only can you stream content whenever you want, including live TV, but Roku also has devices dedicated to its streaming services and audio devices for sale at all kinds of retailers.
Plus, Roku competitor Amazon has yet to ink this kind of a deal with NBC. Peacock isn't yet available for Amazon Fire devices.
What NBC Universal content is available on Roku?
Peacock is the latest NBC Universal product to make its way to Roku, but the negotiations between the two companies also renewed their deal to keep 46 NBCU broadcast and cable apps on the Roku Channel. Users still have access to NBC cable apps like NBC News, E!, and Bravo.
But this doesn't mean that all content from NBC Universal is free. Peacock users who want early access to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers will have to pay monthly.
Peacock is ad-based, so signing up and streaming content is free to all its users. But the platform is tiered. Users can upgrade to Peacock Premium for $4.99 to have early access to those NBC shows.
Peacock subscriptions also include content like exclusive original shows, a dedicated Spanish series, and full access to kids' content.
For $9.99 per month, users can upgrade to Peacock Premium Plus that allows an ad-free experience. There are also annual plans available for $49.99 and $99.99 respectively.
What is Roku's stock price?
Over the past few days, Roku stock saw a jump in price. On September 18, its stock price was $158.91. As of yesterday, the price has increased to $188.92. This is reportedly the highest the stock price has ever been.
In addition, Brian Roberts, the CEO of NBC Universal's parent company, Comcast, said at a conference held last Tuesday that Peacock saw a 50 percent increase in new signups in the past six weeks.
It was also reported that Peacock gained 10 million new signups only a few weeks after it launched. Considering how so many people are home more often because of social distancing, this might not come as a shock.
