It’s unclear how many people were hungrily anticipating this, but here it is: Peacock subscribers can now watch the streaming service while strapped in to one of meta‘s virtual-reality headsets.
Peacock as of Wednesday (April 12) is available on meta Quest 2 and meta Quest Pro devices, the first time the NBCUniversal streamer is available on a VR headset. Consumers in the U.S. can sign up to watch Peacock content on what meta calls “a giant personal screen.”
The launch of Peacock on meta Quest 2 (currently $400 and up) and Quest Pro (which starts at $1,000) is part of a broader three-year partnership between NBCU and meta to adapt a range of the media company’s intellectual property — including “Universal Monsters,” “Halloween Horror Nights” and “The Office” — for virtual environments including meta Horizon Worlds and the meta Avatars Store.
According to meta, VR headset users can multitask on multiple screens to watch Peacock content while also browsing the internet or using other apps. You also can adjust the screen size, including expanding it to full “theater” dimensions.
Peacock joins other streaming apps available for the meta Quest VR family (formerly called Oculus), including Netflix, Amazon’s Prime Video, YouTube, Pluto TV and ESPN. meta has invested billions into its metaverse businesses, which saw operating losses increase 35% in 2022 to $13.7 billion.
Peacock provides more than 90,000 hours of programming including movies, TV shows and live sports like Major League baseball, Premier League soccer, WWE and Big Ten Football. Peacock’s lineup of shows includes “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” “That ‘70s Show,” “Yellowstone” and “Saturday Night Live” as well as next-day episodes from Bravo and NBC and originals like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” Content coming to Peacock includes comedy-thriller movie “Cocaine Bear” (April 14), original series “Mrs. Davis” (April 20) and the MLB Sunday Leadoff games beginning April 23.
To promote Peacock’s launch on meta VR, the companies have lined up a couple of special offers. Current owners of a meta Quest 2 or meta Quest Pro are eligible for three months free of Peacock Premium with ads (a $15 value). Customers who set up and register a new qualifying meta Quest VR device now through April 11, 2024, are eligible for 12 months of Peacock Premium with ads at no additional cost (a $60 value).
“Launching Peacock on meta Quest 2 and meta Quest Pro meaningfully expands the existing partnership between meta and NBCUniversal, and offers users more opportunities to experience Peacock’s robust content offering in an immersive VR and streaming experience,” said Annie Luo, Peacock’s EVP, head of global partnerships and strategic development. “Whether it be a VR experience with ‘The Office’ or an iconic film franchise, a live sporting event or the next breakout Peacock original, there’s something for everyone.”
Added Jarred Kennedy, VP of immersive apps and experiences at meta, “With meta Quest 2 and Pro, you can turn any room into your own virtual entertainment theater, and now users have access to an even larger collection of fan favorite movies, TV and sports.”
NBCU reported 20 million paid subscribers for Peacock as of the end of 2022, more than doubling from 9 million a year earlier. For full-year 2022, Peacock had an adjusted loss of $2.5 billion, which parentComcast expects to increase to about $3 billion in 2023, marking its peak year of losses. Peacock is no longer available to new users as a free, ad-supported option, as NBCU focuses on growing paid subscribers.
