Peacock bets on bundles with YouTube deal as rivals chase acquisitions

While much of the streaming industry is focused on mergers and acquisitions, NBCUniversal is expanding its reach through partnerships. On Monday, the company and YouTube announced a multi-year global strategic partnership that will bring Peacock’s Premium plan to YouTube Premium subscribers in the United States starting in early 2027. The move gives millions of viewers access to Peacock’s full lineup, including NFL and NBA coverage, "Saturday Night Live," "Love Island USA," "Law & Order: SVU," and Bravo favorites like The Real Housewives franchise.

Under the deal, Peacock content will be integrated into the YouTube experience, allowing viewers to discover and watch shows without leaving the platform. For YouTube, the partnership strengthens YouTube Premium and supports its broader strategy of becoming a hub for streaming, offering premium TV, live sports, and creator content all in one place.

Industry context: Paramount Skydance has agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox is buying Roku. Peacock, however, is leaning into distribution. The company already partners with Amazon and Apple, and the YouTube deal is its biggest effort yet to put content where audiences already are. The announcement follows Peacock reporting its first-ever quarterly profit in Q2 2026; the service currently has 48 million paid subscribers.

The partnership extends beyond the U.S. as NBCUniversal’s international streaming services, Universal+ and Hayu, will also become available through YouTube Premium in select markets. Additionally, starting later this summer, Peacock Premium will be available as a separate add-on subscription via YouTube Primetime Channels. Peacock Premium is the ad-supported plan at $10.99 per month; Peacock Premium Plus has been available via YouTube Primetime Channels since late June.