Well, which do you want first?
Lets start with the bad news about NBCs soon-to-launch streaming service Peacock. Citing sources familiar with the matter, CNBC reported Wednesday that the service is still in talks with Amazon and Roku about making its service available on those platforms straight out of the gate, but the chances that those users will have access to NBCs platform right away are looking, well, grim.
One unnamed source who spoke with the outlet put the chances of the companies reaching a resolution before launch day next week at less than 10%. Woof.
Thats a pretty significant number of users to be shutting out as Peacock moves to position itself as a streaming leader against a veritable army of services competing for your attention. A lack of support for Roku and Fire TV, its worth noting, was one of the biggest complaints we heard from Gizmodo readers when rival streaming service HBO Max launched in May (aside from, you know, all the other shit that made that service shoddy and bad at rollout).
To be clear, theres definitely still time, and streaming services do have an annoying tendency to reach final hour-agreements or make nice not too long after launch. But a lack of support is definitely a pain in the ass for those folks hoping to take a new service for test spin, given the disappointing flops of HBO Max and Quibi in recent months.
The good news, however, is that Peacock is still looking to beef up its libraryin a way youll actually appreciate. The service will already be home to the majority of the Dick Wolf mega-library, including Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unita series that will probably outlive our childrens children. This week, Deadline reported that Wolf could bring a couple of originals to the service, with possibilities including Law & Order: Hate Crimes and New York Undercover.
Thatll be part of the utterly massive haul of content on the service, which includes everything from The Office and House to The Real Housewives and Top Chef. In other words, Peacock is making itself something of a bingers paradise, either for a beloved series youve already seen or for something you may have missed and might be more inclined to stream now that you spend most of your downtime at home.
Plus, the service offers a free, ad-supported tiera bonus if you, like me, are absolutely exhausted by the sheer number of services we now have to choose from. And you should take it for a test drive, as youll get access to about half of its library with this option (though the premium tier will only run you $5 per month).
Peacock launches July 15. Stay tuned for our full review next week.read more
I Have Good News and Bad News About NBC’s Streaming Service Peacock
