Peacock Mobile App Redesign Goes Vertical Video-First, Adding Fandom Hubs, Rewards And AI Search

Peacock’s mobile app is getting a ground-up overhaul that puts vertical video at the center, the same format popularized by TikTok, Tekkles, and YouTube Shorts. NBCUniversal chairman Matt Strauss told The Hollywood Reporter the goal is to “win another hour per user, per month.”

Strauss also described a change in how the company sees the product. “We recognize that we have to start thinking of ourselves less as a streaming platform and more of an entertainment platform,” he said. “How do we super serve our franchises and our fandoms where the best experience is on our app?”

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Vertical video is one of the answers on the table. Short clips from shows are meant to keep subscribers inside the app, and they could also draw viewers toward full episodes on the TV screen.

Peacock Fandom Hubs For Bravo, The Office, Law & Order And The NBA

The redesign introduces fandom hubs for individual franchises, including the Bravo-verse and The Office. Each hub will carry short videos and related experiences. The Law & Order page, for example, will include small video games.

The NBA page is built around the live game. It will offer “easy access to player stats” and “deeper game information sitting directly underneath the live feed in a dual screen view.”

Peacock Membership Program: Rewards For Subscribers

NBCUniversal is also previewing a membership program that will give “eligible subscribers exclusive rewards, benefits and activities tied to the movies and shows they enjoy.” Details are limited, but eligibility appears to depend on how long someone has subscribed to Peacock. Listed perks include temporary Instacart memberships and a subscription to New York Times Cooking.

Live Vertical Video, Dynamic Player And Conversational AI Search

Several technical additions are coming as well. Peacock will keep experimenting with live vertical video. A “dynamic video player” is on the way that switches between vertical and horizontal orientations based on the device. The app is also adding generative AI for “conversational AI search.”

Peacock Microdramas And App Rollout Timeline

NBCUniversal plans to keep investing in microdramas, serial dramas that often run about a minute per episode and connect into a larger story. Peacock recently released Charmed by a Southern Monster, the company’s first scripted microdrama.

The redesigned app is rolling out now in phases. Reaching every user could take until next year.

The update arrives after Peacock turned a profit for the first time, and it has now posted two straight profitable quarters.