Sky TV and NOW Entertainment subscribers in the U.K. and Ireland are getting a ton of new content to watch this month with the launch of NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service – and it will be available free of charge.
Peacock is coming to Sky as part of a deal arranged between NBCUniversal and Comcast, which owns Sky. The deal sees Sky TV subscribers gain access to a growing catalogue of original and iconic TV shows and movies starting on Nov. 16, Sky said in a press release.
The “soft launch” in the U.K. and Ireland will eventually roll out to all of Sky’s platforms across Europe, meaning more than 20 million of its customers will be able to enjoy free Peacock content.
The downside of course is that the content is ad supported, just as it is in the U.S. It’s not clear if Sky has any plans to introduce a paid subscription option that removes the ads. U.S. viewers do have such an option, costing $10 per month.
Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content for Sky UK and Ireland said the availability of Peacock’s content on Sky and Now expands an already-massive lineup that’s available to its customers.
“With brand new Peacock Originals, must-watch reality and hit library series we couldn’t be more excited to add Peacock for all our customers, at no extra cost,” Bennett said.
For those wondering what all the fuss is about, Peacock is one of a bunch of challengers emerging to try and take on streaming giant Netflix. It offers a slate of original programmes, plus on-demand hit TV shows and a number of Hollywood flicks produced by studios such as Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation and Illumination
As such, it offers an impressive list of content with movies such as Bird on a Wire, Bowfinger, Children of Men, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Game, Hanna, Hannibal, The Last House on the Left, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Meet Joe Black, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Out of Sight, Tower Heist, United 93, Very Bad Things, What Dreams May Come, and You, Me, and Dupree.
The selection of Peacock Originals is a bit more limited, including titles such as Saved by the Bell, Rutherford Falls, Punky Brewster, The Girl in the Woods plus MacGruber, Bel-Air, and Vampire Academy, though it is growing. Also offered are dozens of classic and current TV shows, including comedies like The Office, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, A.P. Bio, Will & Grace, Mr. Mayor, Young Rock, and Saturday Night Live; dramas such as Battlestar Galactica, Monk, Bates Motel, Friday Night Lights, 12 Monkeys; plus unscripted hits like Below Deck and Top Chef.
