More and more people are ditching their cable subscriptions and switching to streaming, and some streaming services now have hundreds of millions of subscribers. One of those services, Peacock, still has a long way to go to catch behemoths like Netflix and Disney.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Comcast president Mike Cavanagh announced at the UBS Global Media and Communications conference on Monday morning that Peacock has officially crossed 30 million subscribers. He also revealed that the average amount someone pays for the service is $10 per month between its ad-supported and ad-free plans.
While 30 million subscribers are something to celebrate, the service is still far behind other streamers like Netflix and Disney. Cavanagh points to a lack of time, saying: “Remember we started cold three years ago because of the change in ownership of Hulu.”
“We’re still very significant in distribution — as much as anybody in the traditional linear world — nothing’s going to change the gravity that that side of the business is feeling, but the infrastructure that we have as we bring it to life, in the form of Peacock, is a great is a great way to think about the game we’re trying to play.”
So, how far is Peacock behind other streaming services in terms of subscribers? Based on the most recent reporting, here’s a breakdown of the popular streaming services and their subscribers:
- Netflix: 247 million
- Disney (including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN): 223 million
- Amazon (including Amazon Prime Video and MGM+): 205 million
- Max (including Discovery+): 95 million
- Paramount+ (including Showtime): 77 million
- Apple TV+: 50 million (estimated)
- Peacock: 30 million
It’s obvious that Peacock still has a long way to go to compete with the larger streaming services, but Comcast is confident that the service will continue to grow. Cavanaugh lightly took shots at other studios and services, positioning NBCUniversal as a more friendly home for creators in Hollywood.
“Really what’s most important is I think in the market you know, we’ve got such good leadership and such good relationships in Hollywood. Our reliance rather than being based on formulaic series has been more around originality and creativity. So the partnerships we have with creators like a Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan with Oppenheimer, Chris Meledandri and illumination, Jason Blum on the horror side. Jordan Peele, you know, I think we’re a place where creators want to bring original ideas, and we’re known to be a good partner in creating that. And that feels a little bit like what the moment calls for in Hollywood.”
I personally subscribe to the ad-supported version of Peacock and actually watch it a lot. Being the home of The Office and Parks and Recreation is not a bad hand to hold. You’ll continue to get my $5.99 per month, Comcast.