MustShop TV Opens for Business and Other Peacock NewFront News

The Big Message:Approaching its third birthday this summer, Peacock is flourishing as a video content department store for consumers, mixing the best fare from NBC and other NBCU channels with exclusive first-run series, live sports/news coverage and movies. The service is currently on a roll with interactive/shoppable ad options in the 2023-24 season. "While others have pivoted, we stayed the course," noted Peacock President Kelly Campbell. "We're a singular destination of entertainment in its many forms. We're not just growing faster. We're growing stronger."

Host:Campbell, playing keynote speaker at the start of the presentation, then interviewer midway through. She was energetic and enjoyable to watch, backed by a stylish black set and cool graphic sequences playing on a wide screen.

What Worked:Appearances by NBCU senior executives lent gravitas and key support for Peacock's current and strategic focus. Susan Rovner, NBCU's Entertainment Chairman, did double duty as a guest for a Campbell-led interview and solo speaker near the end of the presentation. Rovner managed to sneak in a tidbit or two about future Peacock original programming, ahead of official announcements that will come during NBCU's perennial Radio City Music Hall Upfront spectacular May 15.

What Also Worked:The inclusion of a segment about Peacock's extensive commitment to diversity in front of and behind the cameras, from the success of Bel-Air to T-Plus, Telemundo's destination for first-run Spanish- and English-language content directed at Latino audiences. "It's imperative that everyone sees themselves when they come to watch Peacock," Rovner said.

What Didn't Work:Overlong video montages of classic TV scenes playing while furniture was moved on and off the circular stage. One montage made for  worthwhile viewing, featuring memorable play-by-play calls of events covered by NBC Sports, with Marv Albert and the late Vin Scully among the highlighted sportscasters.

Bonus Point:Peacock joining most of the other NewFront presentations so far in having an interpreter on hand, using sign language to communicate with deaf and hearing-impaired attendees.

Data Points:More than 90,000 hours of content are available on-demand or in linear fashion on Peacock, with subscribers averaging 20 hours of monthly viewing. Ninety-five percent of Peacock customers watching movies on a regular basis there hold a favorable opinion on their presentation, featuring pre-roll messages that emulate coming attraction trailers, and pause ads placed in natural, organic breaks in a film.

News:MustShop TV, the innovative commerce feature introduced at NBCU's One23 technology showcase this winter, is in business. Several unscripted series will initially incorporate the process. In each episode, specific products or services displayed will be identified for viewers to check out and order on the spot. When the viewer signals their interest in buying that product or service with their voice or voice remote, a slide pops up with more info and the opportunity to buy via NBCU's Checkout ordering system. Another new ad option is Power Break, where brand messages viewers see when they pause the show they're watching are customized to fit specific demographics. More Peacock original films are on the way, including Shooting Stars, based on Lebron James' experiences as a high school basketball player (Capital One, Google and State Farm Insurance will be primary advertisers), and Bernard and the Genie, a holiday season adventure starring Melissa McCarthy.

Parting Words:

"What will be our first 100-episode show? Poker Face… and I definitely want to do that Poker Face spinoff." -- Susan Rovner, NBCU Entertainment Chairman

"We're out to be the most complete service on the market. Our growth is your growth." -- NBCU Executive Vice President of Streaming Data Products and Head of Diversity Peter Blacker

"This industry needs more measurement options. We're building an ecosystem of data." -- Krishan Bhatia, NBCU President and Chief Business Officer

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