Peacock Cuts Deal with ViacomCBS to Expand Library

Two weeks away from its debut, NBCUniversal’s new streaming service Peacock is taking the time to preen its feathers. 

NBCUniversal announced today that it has reached an agreement with rival media conglomerate ViacomCBS to license some of its television and film content. Much of the TV and film offerings will be present on Peacock’s July 15 launch date. ViacomCBS TV shows of note that will be available to stream on Peacock include: Ray Donovan, The Affair, Undercover Boss, The Game, Everybody Hates Chris, and Real Husbands of Hollywood. Additionally, Charmed will be made available in October. All of the aforementioned shows will still be present on ViacomCBS’s existing streaming services like CBS All Access.

Peacock is also getting an exclusive streaming license for some films in the Paramount library. The following films will be made available in limited exclusivity windows throughout 2021, 2022, and 2023: The 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. 

“We are truly excited to bring some of the most popular movies and series from across the ViacomCBS family of brands to Peacock,” Frances Manfredi, President of Content Acquisition and Strategy for Peacock said in a statement. “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.”

Peacock represents NBCUniversal’s attempt to stay competitive with its peers WarnerMedia and Disney in the streaming realm. Disney launched its streaming service Disney+ in November of last year while WarnerMedia followed up with HBO Max last month. Peacock’s free tier will include over 7,500 hours of content, while Peacock Premium will include over 15,000 hours of content while costing $4.99 per month. 

The newly-formed ViacomCBS purports to be working on an all-encompassing “House of Brands” streaming service itself. The conglomerate already offers CBS All Access and has recently indicated that it’s new streaming service may end up being an expanded and retooled version of that existing service. At first glance, cutting a deal with NBCUniversal like a curious decision by ViacomCBS given its expanded streaming ambitions. But in retaining the rights to the television offerings and limiting the exclusivity window for the film offerings, it keeps its properties in the public eye while buying some time to finish up its own streaming service. 

“This agreement with Peacock demonstrates the incredible and enduring value of ViacomCBS content,” Dan Cohen, President, ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group 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.”

Peacock will launch with original content like Brave New World, Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, The Capture, Intelligence, and more on July 15.