Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.cbr.com
Peacock is undergoing a major overhaul of its streaming app. With the updated Peacock app, users will be seeing some big changes.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is Peacock’s largest mobile revamp ever. NBCUniversal Media Group chairman Matt Strauss told reporters that this update is designed to “win another hour per user, per month.” Peacock has been profitable for two straight quarters, and NBCUniversal wants to keep the momentum going.
Peacock Is Embracing Vertical Video
One major change that comes with the new Peacock mobile app update is adapted functionality for vertical video. With the popularity of TikTok and Reels, Peacock is embracing vertical video in the hopes that more users will take advantage of both the mobile app and TV app.
According to THR, Peacock users who use the app on both devices double the engagement of those who only use the app on their television. For instance, short clips on vertical will lead to full episodes on Peacock, elongating a user’s engagement. With a “dynamic video player,” they can switch between vertical and horizontal playback, depending on their device’s orientation.
“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?”
John Jelley, NBCUniversal’s senior vice president of product and UX said, “Every streamer today is really a sea of sameness on the homepage. Because they’ve taken a TV experience and largely ported it over, they are expecting the user to do the sorting. We see an opportunity to recognize what a fan is trying to accomplish in that session and make the next most useful action easier to find.”
With their foray into vertical video, Peacock is also embracing microdramas.
“When we talk to users about microdramas, they’re not embarrassed by them. They don’t feel that they’re something they’ll just do in private,” Jelley said. “They’re watching them at home at different moments of the day, they’re watching them on the commute. We are very committed to premium long-form content, and that has a massive place not only on the phone, but also on TV. But this is really another modality.”
Peacock’s Mobile App Now Has Live Viewing and AI Search
Image via Peacock
One way the app intends to help users find what they’re looking for is through “conversational AI search.” According to THR, this function will help users find what they want even when they don’t know how to express it. On top of that, the app now features “one-stop shops” for specific franchises and fandoms, like the Bravo-verse, for example.
The app will have games related to their shows, like Law & Order: Clue Hunter. Fans can also sign up for a membership program “giving eligible subscribers exclusive rewards, benefits and activities tied to the movies and shows they enjoy,” according to Peacock’s official announcement.
Adaptive live viewing will also become available. For instance, users can watch The Voice live simulcasts, or NCAA basketball games. NBA games will eventually include live feeds, with “easy access to player stats” and “deeper game information sitting directly underneath the live feed in a dual screen view.”
The updated Peacock mobile app is available now and is expected to continue expanding through early 2027.
