Cox signs on to increase distribution to 24M

Comcast’s NBCUniversal said it will launch its streaming service Peacock on April 15.

There will be several versions of the service: Peacock Free, which is ad supported and Peacock Premium which will be free to Comcast subscribers and, through a distribution deal, to Cox subscribers. Other viewers will be able to pay $4.99 a month for Peacock Premium. 

An ad-free version will cost $5 more or $9.99 a month. 

Related: Peacock Plans Less Than 5 Minutes of Ads Per Hour

“This is a very exciting time for our company, as we chart the future of entertainment,” said Steve Burke, chairman of NBCUniversal. “We have one of the most enviable collections of media brands and the strongest ad sales track record in the business. Capitalizing on these key strengths, we are taking a unique approach to streaming that brings value to customers, advertisers and shareholders.”

“Peacock will provide consumers with a destination that goes beyond movies and television, aggregating a variety of content that fans want on one service,” added Matt Strauss, chairman of Peacock and NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises. “By delivering timely and topical content like breaking news, live sports, and watercooler moments from late night, Peacock is uniquely bringing a pulse to the world of streaming that does not exist in today’s marketplace.”

Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex customers will be able to get Peacock Premium on April 15. Premium will be available nationally on web, mobile and connected TV devices on July 15.

Related: Comcast Expects Peacock to Break Even by 2024

The company said it expects to reach 30-35 million accounts by 2024.

The service will stream NBCU’s late night shows, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers each day.

 Late night will start early on Peacock, at 8 p.m. ET.

Peacock will also have live daily programming from the Tokyo Olympics. There will be three Olympic channels on Peacock. One  will air a morning show with live events, a recap show at 11 a.m. and a primetime show.  The second will have original documentaries. The third will feature Olympic athlete profiles.  After the games end, Peacock will have exclusive coverage of the Paralympic games. Following that, the Olympic channel now on cable will stream on Peacock. 

Peacock will also stream Paramount Network hit series “Yellowstone,” the record-breaking drama, licensed from ViacomCBS. “Yellowstone” is co-created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, and is co-produced by David Glasser’s 101 Studios. Additionally, Two and a Half Men, and The George Lopez Show from Warner Brothers will be carried on the streamer.

It will also feature news from a new global news service being created by NBC News and Sky News.