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Peacock (Image courtesy of NBCUniversal)
Peacock (Image courtesy of NBCUniversal)

Peacock strikes licensing deal with A+E Networks

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Tue, Apr 14th 2020 03:55 pm

Peacock, NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, announced a licensing deal with A+E Networks that will make hundreds of hours of episodes of hit series from A&E and HISTORY available to stream after the service launches later this year.

Customers will enjoy access to popular A&E series including “First 48,” “Storage Wars” and “Cold Case Files,” and hit series from HISTORY including “Pawn Stars,” “American Pickers,” “Ancient Aliens,” “Curse of Oak Island” and “Project Blue Book.”

“We are excited to make some of A+E Networks’ most popular shows available on Peacock later this year,” said Frances Manfredi, president, content acquisition and strategy, Peacock and NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises. “In addition to the strong portfolio of NBCUniversal programming available on Peacock, we continue to aggregate content from other networks and studios, like A&E and HISTORY, that maximizes the breadth and depth of choice for our customers.”

A press release said, “Peacock is a free ad-supported streaming service with subscription tiers, providing customers with a unique, timely and complete entertainment experience that offers everything they love to watch, all in one place. Launching in April for Comcast video customers with Xfinity X1 and internet-only customers with Xfinity Flex, and nationally across platforms in July, Peacock will feature thousands of hours of on demand movies and shows – including exclusive originals – from NBCUniversal and beyond, as well as current and live content including news, sports, late night, reality, Hispanic programming and more.”

“We are excited to partner with Peacock,” said Steve MacDonald, president, global content licensing and international, A+E Networks. “We of course strongly believe in the power of the A+E Networks’ library of content, and that it will prove to strengthen Peacock’s offerings.”

Featured A&E series available on Peacock include:

•“Cold Case Files” – One of A&E’s most beloved and successful series of all time, the series explores compelling new cases that have gone cold for years and chronicles the journeys of the detectives who reopened them. The series originally premiered in 1998 and ran for nearly 10 years, where it quickly became the network’s highest rated series.

•“First 48” – A genre-defining series that has inspired countless true crime programs. After 15 years and thousands of investigations, audiences continue to be engrossed in the compelling cases and emotional stories featured in the series.

•“Storage Wars” – Following its 2010 debut, the series quickly became the channel’s top-rated non-scripted series and went on to inspire a number of similar series and creating an entire reality TV subgenre. The series follows professional buyers who visit storage facilities looking to strike it rich by buying repossessed storage units.

Featured HISTORY series available on Peacock include:

•“American Pickers” – One of the network’s most popular shows, the documentary series explores the world of antique “picking” as Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz hunt for America’s most valuable antiques and the stories that follow them.

•“Ancient Aliens” – One of cable’s longest-running and most popular shows, the series explores the controversial theory that extraterrestrials have visited Earth for millions of years.

•“Curse of Oak Island” – Cable’s top nonfiction series, averaging over 4 million viewers, follows Rick, Marty and the Oak Island team in their quest to solve the 224-year old treasure mystery.

•“Pawn Stars” – The longest-running show in cable, the series takes viewers inside the colorful world of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop on the outskirts of Las Vegas, run by the Harrison family.

•“Project Blue Book” – The popular new series follows a brilliant professor recruited by the U.S. Air Force to spearhead the military’s clandestine investigations into reports of UFOs and related phenomena. Each episode draws material from the authentic government files that were top secret when they were originally compiled under the Blue Book header.

NBCUniversal Welcomes Launch Sponsors

NBCUniversal announced its complete lineup of Peacock launch sponsors, welcoming Capital One, L’Oreal USA, Molson Coors Beverage Co., Subaru of America Inc. and Verizon. Together with previously announced sponsors including Apartments.com, State Farm, Target and Unilever, a press release said this group of diverse companies will help define the Peacock advertising experience and reinvent the future of streaming video for viewers everywhere.

"At a time when people all over the world are turning to our content for comfort, entertainment and connection, a consumer-first platform has never been more vital. Thanks to our launch partners, that's exactly what we've created together. Peacock will not only redefine the industry's conception of what is possible for ad-supported streaming services, it will open the door to new opportunities for viewers and marketers alike," said Laura Molen, president, advertising sales and partnerships, NBCUniversal. "We are thrilled to welcome the world's leading brands to the Peacock Streaming Council and cannot wait to see what more we can achieve through the power of partnership.”

“As viewers continue to migrate to streaming platforms, partnering with Peacock is an opportunity for L’Oréal to test and learn with a company that shares our vision for consumer-centric marketing,” said Gretchen Saegh-Fleming, chief marketing officer at L’Oreal USA. “Peacock’s dynamic platform will enable us to look beyond traditional 15- and 30-second video formats and collaborate with an industry leader who is committed to building a best-in-class content experience.”

“As a longtime partner of NBCUniversal, we’re proud to team up with them to launch Peacock,” said Brad Feinberg, vice president of media and consumer engagement, Molson Coors Beverage Co. North America. “Our primary goal is meet consumers in the right places, at the right times, with the right message. It is therefore imperative that we continue to invest in emerging platforms like Peacock that have some of best original content and are well positioned to support shifting consumer media behaviors. We look forward to deepening those connections through the launch of Peacock’s streaming service.”

“We are excited about our innovative partnership with NBCUniversal as the exclusive automotive partner of the new streaming service, Peacock,” said Alan Bethke, senior vice president, marketing, Subaru of America Inc. “As the media landscape continues to evolve, we are always on the lookout for new opportunities where the brand can test and learn to ensure we stay on the forefront of emerging advertising opportunities.”

"In a time when more content is being consumed than ever, we're proud to expand our relationship with NBCUniversal to support and integrate with Peacock as they offer viewers more access to shows, movies and premium content," said John Nitti, chief media officer, Verizon.

Peacock, the press release noted, “sets a new industry standard for ad-supported streaming video. At zero cost to consumers, Peacock revolutionizes the advertising experience, making it more engaging for audiences and more effective for brands.

“With just five minutes of ad loads per hour or less, Peacock boasts the lightest ad loads and the most innovative formats available. From tried and true commercial innovations like ShoppableTV and Prime Pods, to new ones pioneered on Peacock including Trending, Solo, Curator, Explore and On-Command ads, Peacock's ad solutions enhance the viewer experience while driving impact for brands. And in collaboration with the Peacock Streaming Council, NBCUniversal will continue to refine viewer and advertiser experiences by giving launch partners a seat at the table alongside NBCUniversal's engineers and creators to pilot new commercial innovations and learn what resonates most with audiences.

“Peacock also marks the next phase of NBCUniversal’s One Platform offering, which lets marketers transact in a way that reflects how audiences actually consume content. With One Platform, it's easier than ever before for marketers to reach audiences across the entirety of the NBCUniversal ecosystem. Whether advertisers are looking for a broad, global reach or a targeted audience, One Platform gives them the tools and technology to connect with viewers in a premium, brand-safe environment.”

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