Instead of the familiar profile selection screen showing only user icons, most of the page will now be taken over by an advertorial image. The profile circles featuring NBCUniversal-owned characters will be pushed to a narrow vertical column on the left side of the screen.
The only way to avoid these launch ads is to subscribe to Peacock’s most expensive plan. The ad-free tier starts at $17 per month, while Peacock’s ad-supported plans begin at $8 per month.
NBCUniversal claims Peacock will be the first streaming service to introduce this type of startup advertising. However, the move could frustrate subscribers, as it adds another obstacle between users and the content they want to watch.
Why Peacock Is Doing This
Like many streaming platforms, Peacock has struggled to become profitable. The service currently has 41 million subscribers but has not turned a profit. In its most recent earnings report released in October, Comcast—NBCUniversal’s parent company—reported that Peacock lost $217 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. While that loss is smaller than the $436 million lost in the same quarter in 2024, the service is still far from profitability.
Subscriber growth has also stalled. Peacock has had the same number of subscribers since Q1 2025, after growing from 31 million subscribers in Q1 2024. While bundle deals that include Peacock have become more common, they have not significantly boosted long-term growth.
To make up for slow subscriber gains, Peacock has leaned heavily into advertising and live events. Those live events help attract viewers but are expensive to produce, pushing the company to explore new ad formats.
Ads Are Working—for Now
Despite overall struggles, Peacock’s advertising business has shown promise. Comcast credited much of NBCUniversal’s 2.6 percent ad revenue growth to Peacock in its latest earnings report.
The platform already runs several ad formats, including:
• Full-screen ads when viewers pause content
• “Binge Ads” that appear after watching multiple episodes in a row
• Ads in live programming
NBCUniversal also announced this week that Peacock will begin showing ads in the vertical video feeds within its mobile app.
A Risky Precedent
Peacock’s Arrival Ads are more disruptive than traditional ad breaks, placing advertising directly at the entrance of the platform. While stronger ad revenue could help Peacock avoid steeper subscription price hikes, the approach risks alienating viewers.
There is also concern that other streaming services may follow Peacock’s lead. As more users turn to ad-supported plans due to rising subscription costs, platforms may begin treating launch screens as advertising “canvas spaces,” rather than simple gateways to content.
As NBCUniversal advertising executive Alison Levin suggested during the announcement, Peacock sees its opening screen as valuable real estate. Whether subscribers agree—or tolerate it—remains to be seen.
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