Comcast Likely to Make Peacock Free for Everyone: Report

Comcast’s NBCUniversal division will likely make its upcoming streaming service entirely ad supported and free to everyone who uses it, according to company news platform CNBC.

NBCU previously announced that the platform would include ads but only be free to Comcast broadband subscribers. The CNBC report said NBCU now is “leaning” on supporting the platform with three to five minutes per show of advertising. The platform, branded as Peacock, is set to launch in April. NBCU CEO Steve Burke said earlier that the company expects to make around $5 a month per user.

Citing unnamed sources, CNBC said NBCU is also considering a separate ad-free, subscription version of Peacock.

Related: Comcast Brands New NBCU Streaming Service ‘Peacock,’ Announces Launch Slate

Peacock will launch with 15,000 hours of programming, making it one of the deeper platforms amid the fury of streaming launches occurring over the next six months. That onslaught started today with the launch of Apple TV+, a $4.99 subscription service with a limited amount of original programming at launch, but no advertising.

Also ad-free, Disney+ ncorporates The Walt Disney Company’s film and TV properties, along with ESPN+ and Hulu. It’s priced at $6.99 a month and is set to launch November 14.

Earlier this week, AT&T announced a $14.99-a-month price point and May launch date for HBO Max, which will launch with more than 10,000 hours of content. 

Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!