Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSA) NBC recently offered details about its intentions to jump on the video streaming bandwagon through Peacock, a platform that will feature over 15,000 hours of content when it arrives next April. Peacock will be offered as a free ad-supported service for Comcast's U.S. customers, with paid tiers for ad-free viewing and non-Comcast subscribers.
Comcast hasn't revealed any prices yet, but it stated that Peacock will be the exclusive streaming platform for The Office (which will leave Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) in 2021), Parks and Recreation, and reboots and revivals of classic shows like Saved by the Bell, Battlestar Galactica, and Punky Brewster. It will also offer access to classic NBC shows like 30 Rock, Everybody Loves Raymond, Frasier, Saturday Night Live, and its catalog of Universal movies.
Comcast's move into the streaming market isn't surprising, since most of its media rivals are implementing similar strategies. However, Peacock's launch seems shoddily conceived for three simple reasons.