Key Points
- Beginning in early 2027, Peacock Premium will be bundled with YouTube Premium in the United States, giving millions of subscribers access through the YouTube experience.
- Peacock Premium will also become available as a separate YouTube Primetime Channels add-on later this summer, joining Peacock Premium Plus.
- The companies will deepen their advertising technology relationship through FreeWheel and expand YouTube services across Comcast’s Xfinity and Xumo platforms.
Comcast’s NBC Universal and Google-owned YouTube have struck a new partnership that will see the streaming service Peacock offered to subscribers of YouTube Premium, the companies announced on Monday.
Beginning in early 2027, Peacock Premium will be available with YouTube Premium subscriptions in the United States, the companies said. No pricing details were available, and it wasn’t clear from the announcement if YouTube Premium will offer Peacock to all subscribers and if the plan will result in a price increase.
Subscribers will be able to access Peacock programming within the YouTube experience, including sports from the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, Premier League soccer and others.
Peacock Premium currently costs $11 per month as a standalone service. It will also become available as a separate add-on through YouTube Primetime Channels later this summer. Peacock Premium Plus has been offered through Primetime Channels since late June.
The agreement also extends NBC Universal’s distribution relationship with YouTube TV, ensuring continued carriage of the company’s broadcast, cable, news and sports networks. YouTube described the service as the largest and fastest-growing pay television provider in the United States.
“This partnership brings NBC Universal’s world-class content and iconic franchises to YouTube’s unmatched scale and global platforms,” Mike Cavanagh, the co-Chief Executive Officer of Comcast, said on Monday. “We’re excited to deepen our relationship with YouTube through a collaboration that reflects our strategy of partnering with industry leaders to drive sustained growth for NBCUniversal.”
“With this agreement, Peacock accelerates its next phase of growth by bringing the service to millions of YouTube Premium subscribers, driving long-term value for our business,” Matt Strauss, Chairman of NBC Universal Media Group, said in a statement.
The companies will expand their advertising technology work through FreeWheel, NBC Universal’s advertising management platform. They said the collaboration is intended to improve advertising capabilities and increase monetization across their services.
Universal Plus and Hayu will also become available through YouTube Premium in select international markets, extending NBC Universal’s streaming reach outside the United States.
NBC Sports will produce selected live events for YouTube, while a selection of NBC Universal sporting events will stream through the NBC Sports YouTube channel.
The agreement also extends the distribution of YouTube, YouTube TV and YouTube Premium across Comcast’s Xfinity and Xumo platforms.
Comcast ended its most-recent financial quarter with 48 million Peacock subscribers; the company said it was the first full quarter where Peacock was profitable as its own business. Comcast is in the process of spinning out NBC Universal, including Peacock, into its own company.
