NBCUniversal and streaming platform Roku have reached a carriage agreement over NBCU’s new direct-to-consumer service Peacock two months after its nationwide launch.
A deal was reached just a day after the Comcast-owned NBCUniversal threatened to pull access to all NBC channels on the Roku platform over the weekend.
Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. It is believed the disagreement stemmed over Roku demanding a cut of NBCUniversal’s advertising inventory.
Under terms of the new agreement, NBC content will be added to the free, ad-supported Roku Channel, while Peacock will be added to the Roku Channel Store in the coming weeks.
With a reported 43 million active accounts, Roku is the leading connected-TV platform in the United States and is found on most smart televisions.
The deal will enable NBCUniversal to further grow the Peacock platform, which is a vital part of the company’s business strategy as it tries to navigate the crowded and competitive US digital landscape.
Comcast chairman and chief executive Brian Roberts said on September 15 that Peacock sign-up number has grown to 15 million. NBCU hopes Peacock will have 30 million to 35 million monthly active accounts by 2024.
“We are pleased Roku recognizes the value in making NBCUniversal’s incredible family of apps and programming, including Peacock, available to all of their users across the country,” a NBCUniversal spokesperson said in a statement. “Roku’s incredible reach will not only help us ensure Peacock is available to our fans wherever they consume video but continue to expand NBCUniversal’s unrivaled digital presence across platforms.”
A Roku spokesman said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Comcast that will bring Peacock to Roku customers and maintains access to NBCU’s TV Everywhere apps. We look forward to offering these new options to consumers under an expanded, mutually beneficial relationship between our companies that includes adding NBC content to The Roku Channel and a meaningful partnership around advertising.”
Peacock is not yet available on streaming platform Amazon Fire TV, while Roku does not have a deal with HBO Max.
Read this: Premier League takes pride of place on Peacock as NBCU’s key weapon in streaming wars