In a thrilling matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers last Friday, Peacock’s exclusive airing of the game in Brazil was a resounding success, drawing in a whopping 14.2 million viewers. This impressive viewership numbers speaks to the popularity and appeal of the NFL, even in international markets.
This isn’t the first time Peacock has seen success with exclusive NFL broadcasts. Last season, a Bills-Chargers game that aired exclusively on the streaming platform pulled in 7.3 million viewers. The significant increase in viewership for the Eagles-Packers game highlights the growing interest in Peacock as a destination for premium sports content.
According to industry experts, Peacock’s success can be attributed to its expanding subscription base, which has seen a boost from exclusive NFL playoff games and coverage of the Olympics this summer. As of the second quarter of 2024, Peacock boasts an impressive 33 million paid subscribers, solidifying its position as a major player in the streaming landscape. In comparison, Amazon Prime, which airs “Thursday Night Football,” has over 200 million subscribers.
While Peacock’s growth and success are certainly commendable, some critics argue that the NFL is missing out on a significant portion of its audience by exclusively airing games on the platform. The viewership numbers for standalone games in Week 1 paint a clear picture:
– Ravens vs Chiefs, Thursday on NBC: 28.9 million viewers
– Packers vs Eagles, Friday on Peacock: 14.2 million viewers
– Rams vs Lions, Sunday on NBC: 22.7 million viewers
– Jets vs 49ers, Monday on ESPN: 20.5 million viewers
Despite the success of the Eagles-Packers game on Peacock, it’s evident that traditional broadcast networks like NBC continue to command larger audiences for NFL games. As the streaming landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how platforms like Peacock navigate the competitive sports broadcasting market.
