This is an attempt to “win another hour per user, per month.”
NBCUniversal is completely overhauling the Peacock app on mobile. This redesign will further emphasize vertical video content, just like TikTok, YouTube Shorts and all the rest. Company chairman Matt Strauss recently said that this is an attempt to “win another hour per user, per month,”
“We recognize that we have to start thinking of ourselves less as a streaming platform and more of an entertainment platform,” Strauss said. “How do we super serve our franchises and our fandoms where the best experience is on our app?”
It looks like one answer to the question of how to “super serve” Peacock’s franchises is vertical video. The hope is that watching short clips of shows will not only keep subscribers on the app, but could also lure them in to watch full episodes on the TV.
In addition to a larger emphasis on vertical video, the app is launching fandom hubs for various franchises, like the Bravo-verse or The Office. These hubs will be home to short videos and affiliated experiences. For instance, the Law & Order page will feature little video games to fool around with. The NBA page will offer “easy access to player stats” and “deeper game information sitting directly underneath the live feed in a dual screen view.”
NBCUniversal is also teasing a membership program that will give “eligible subscribers exclusive rewards, benefits and activities tied to the movies and shows they enjoy.” We don’t have too many specifics, but membership looks to be based on how long someone has been a Peacock subscriber. Perks include stuff like temporary Instacart memberships and a subscription to New York Times Cooking.
There are a couple of techy features heading to the app. Peacock will continue to experiment with live vertical video. There will soon be a “dynamic video player” that automatically switches between vertical and horizontal orientations depending on the device. Of course, the app is also integrating generative AI to allow for “conversational AI search.”
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Finally, NBCUniversal intends to continue investing in microdramas. These are extremely short (often just a minute long) serial dramas that connect to tell a larger story. The platform recently released something called Charmed by a Southern Monster, which is the company’s first scripted microdrama. The new Peacock app is rolling out nowery user
It’s worth noting that Peacock recently became profitable for the first time ever. As a matter of fact, it has experienced two straight quarters of profit. We’ll have to wait and see if this app redesign helps to continue this trend.
