Peacock Bets Big on Vertical Video

NBCUniversal is significantly redesigning its Peacock mobile app, with a core focus on vertical video content to emulate platforms like TikTok. Company leadership views this as an effort to "win another hour per user, per month" and transition the service into a broader "entertainment platform." This new approach seeks to better serve existing franchises and fan communities by offering content optimized for the app experience.

The overhauled app will introduce "fandom hubs" for franchises such as Bravo and The Office. These hubs will host short-form vertical videos and provide integrated experiences, like mini-games for the "Law & Order" section or player statistics and dual-screen viewing for the NBA content. Alongside these features, a forthcoming membership program is designed to offer exclusive rewards and benefits to eligible subscribers, with benefits likely tied to their tenure as Peacock users.

Further technological enhancements include experiments with live vertical video and a "dynamic video player" that adjusts between vertical and horizontal formats. The app is also integrating generative AI for conversational search capabilities. NBCUniversal plans to continue investing in "microdramas," very short serial stories, with a recent example being "Charmed by a Southern Monster." The rollout of the new Peacock app is currently underway and is expected to reach all users by next year, following a phased release.