Peacock Will Get All Universal Movies 4 Months After Theater Release

• Peacock will offer Universal films exclusively, four months after they hit the cinemas.
• The streaming platform will keep exclusive rights for a total period of 10 months.
• This is expected to raise the competition heat as this is a big move from Peacock and Universal.

Peacock’s executives have signed a deal with Universal, DreamWorks, Illumination, and Focus Films, which will have all films of the studios arriving on the streaming platform four months after their debut on cinemas. This is a fresh approach and one that is expected to play a pivotal role in luring new subscribers, as four months is right at the golden means that would satisfy all stakeholders. Of course, the fact that Peacock is owned by Comcast, which also owns NBCUniversal, certainly played a role in the agreement.

The deal will come into effect in 2022, which is when Universal’s partnership with HBO expires. The studio is planning to release ‘Jurassic World: Dominion,’ ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru,’ ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,’ and an unnamed Jordan Peele horror film. These films and all others that will land on Peacock as part of the agreement will be exclusive to the platform, and no other streaming services will be able to buy the rights to view them for another 14 months after their initial release.

In addition to the above, Universal has also agreed to produce exclusive releases for Peacock, differentiating the streaming service even more and helping to strengthen its position in a highly antagonistic space. Netflix, Amazon, Paramount+, Disney+, and even Hulu, have all proven that offering exclusive originals is the best bet when it comes to conquering streaming market chunks.

Peter Levinsohn, vice chair and chief distribution officer of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, has made the following statement: "We are excited to become Peacock’s first Pay-One partner while the platform continues to curate and build a vast film library that will delight its rapidly growing subscriber base."

Peacock is already considered a major player in the streaming market, even though it is one of the youngest, having launched only in April 2020. As of last month, it counted 42 million users plus 10 million premium subscribers. Offering three tiers, Free, Premium, and Premium Plus, we wouldn’t be surprised if the films won’t be made available on the Free plans.