Peacock's launch feels underwhelming: Is streaming fatigue to blame?

The Daily Beast

"The streaming apocalypse has long been foretold, and with Peacock’s launch, it feels like we’ve reached its apotheosis," says Laura Bradley. "Each new platform seems to generate less buzz—the symptom of a consumer base that’s already weary from managing way too many subscriptions. What does it say that the network that invented 'Must-See TV' seems to be on the precipice of a thoroughly unremarkable launch? Linear networks, which once served as branded curators for (somewhat) specific audiences, now feed streaming services that mash their offerings up next to whatever other TV series and movies their parent companies happen to hold rights to. (NBCUniversal, for instance, will round out Peacock with Universal Pictures, Focus Features and DreamWorks Animation’s catalogues.) For users, this now means spending untold amounts of time googling 'Where to stream...' and clicking through the infinite abyss in search of something, anything that jumps out. In other words, I guess I’m saying: TV is dead, long live TV! Peacock should have had a leg-up on at least some of its newer competition. After all, it’s free for anyone with a cable subscription, and comes with beloved library options like The Office, Cheers, Frasier, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, yada yada. But after so, so many streaming launches in the past few months, a fatigue seems to have set in, stifling excitement for the platform’s shiniest offerings and casting doubt on just how many people will actually sign up for it. And speaking of The Yada Yada, it also doesn’t help that two of NBC’s biggest shows will not actually appear on NBC’s streaming platform: Seinfeld will soon land at Netflix, while Friends now lives on WarnerMedia’s HBO Max."

ALSO:

• Peacock is a binge-watcher's paradise -- finally, an alternative to Netflix: "I don’t know about you, but I’ve maxed out my capacity to care about late-to-the-party streaming services," says Catie Keck. "New rollouts have debuted at a breakneck clip in the last year, leaving us with a dizzying number of subscription streaming options—many of which, to be frank, aren’t worth any amount of money. But with its fresh-faced streaming service Peacock, NBCUniversal has created the Netflix rival others have tried (and failed) to produce."
• Peacock's format can be confusing: "All in all, Peacock’s labyrinthine layout makes it seem like it’s almost overwhelmed itself with everything it has to offer," says Caroline Framke. "Its smartest choice, therefore, might be making so much free at the start, so that subscribers can maybe wait on investing in yet another streaming service until it’s figured out how to better package its own content."
• Here are 10 must-watch shows on Peacock, from The Munsters to The Carol Burnett Show
• Some movies on Peacock are expiring after just one day, including Evan Almighty and Fast & Furious
• Here's the difference between free Peacock and Peacock Premium