Despite NBC Universal streaming service Peacock’s record breaking “subscriber acquisition moment” that came as a result of exclusively hosting the Kansas City Chiefs – Miami Dolphins NFL Wild Card matchup, they lost $825 million in the final quarter of 2023.
Peacock ended the year with 31 million subscribers, according to Indie Wire. 2.8 million of those subscribers came in the three days preceding the NFL playoff game, according to a data analytics company called Antenna.
The Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins first round matchup was a bright spot for Peacock
The 2.8 million jump in subscribers in a three-day period was the highest ever measured by Antenna since they began analyzing the data in 2019. This includes things like the launch of Disney+, and several Super Bowls. The Super Bowls in question were not exclusively streamed like the first-round playoff game was.
The potential fallout from those new signups immediately cancelling is yet to be revealed. It is too early to be able to tell if people got the service for the game and immediately cancelled it, or if they ended up being retained by Peacock.
The Wild Card matchup averaged 23 million viewers. This number was the lowest of any of the other playoff games that aired that weekend. It was the highest viewed streaming event of all time, according to NBC themselves.
In an article from Forbes, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke as if there would be more similar streaming events in the future.
“To best serve our fans, we need to ensure games are available to them as their viewing habits change and this includes digital distribution as we continue to help shape the future of the sports and entertainment industry.”
NFL fans were not happy that a playoff game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins was exclusively featured on Peacock
Many fans voiced their opinion on the exclusive nature of the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs on Peacock. While there was exclusive streaming games all year, the fact that this was a playoff game angered some fans.
To add insult to injury, the game that was featured was not a particularly entertaining game. The Chiefs won 26-7, and the most entertaining aspect of the game was the fact that it was so cold that it caused Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘ helmet to break.
Should Patrick Mahomes’ shattered helmet be a safety concern for league?pic.twitter.com/AK6YfNee4J
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 18, 2024
This was also a different platform than the weekly Thursday Night Football games featured on Amazon Prime. Amazon has over 200 million prime members according to Backlinko.com. Peacock had 30 million users before the exclusive featuring of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, according to Variety Magazine.
This disparity in users meant a lot more people were going to have to sign up for this service for the first time.
I love my football but I’m sick of the NFL trying to milk every last penny they can out of us fans!
— 🇺🇸Scarlett Mayhem🇺🇸 (@ScarlettO66) January 19, 2024
Yeah. Screw the NFL. I’m not paying for an app to watch their games.
— JohnX HamblinX (@JohnDHamblin) January 19, 2024
I call BS. This was an awful thing to do.
— JulieS 🟦 🦬🦬🦬 (@ntvnyer21) January 15, 2024
Despite upset fans NBC’s steaming service remains the fastest-growing streaming service in the United States. Their loss of $825 million is an improvement over their $978 million loss in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Their investment did result in a heavier loss than they saw in the summer. The fastest-growing streaming service lost $565 million in the summer quarter.
As the NFL tries to stick with the transition between traditional television and the modern streaming era, more exclusive streaming games can be expected. The Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime isn’t going away until 2033. Peacock/NBC reportedly paid $110 million for the playoff game.
Get More NFL and College Football Content
For more news and trends in the college football world, click here or follow me on Twitter @KusleikaAndrew.