The National Football League (NFL) continues to expand its digital footprint by partnering with Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, to offer the first exclusive livestream of an NFL playoff game. The announcement was made during NBCUniversal’s upfront presentation in New York.
Peacock is set to broadcast a wild card game on January 13, which will follow an afternoon playoff game airing on both NBC and Peacock. This development marks NBCUniversal as the inaugural media company to present three NFL playoff games in one weekend.
The move aligns with the NFL’s strategic focus on digital content distribution while ensuring their games maintain wide reach. “Bringing the excitement of an NFL playoff game exclusively to Peacock’s streaming platform is the next step in that strategy,” said Hans Schroeder, NFL EVP and Chief Operating Officer of NFL Media.
This announcement follows the recent unveiling of the NFL’s 2023 schedule, which will include Peacock’s first exclusive NFL game. The game will be a primetime AFC face-off between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. The NFL also announced a first-of-its-kind post-Thanksgiving Black Friday game to be livestreamed free to all viewers, including non-subscribers, on Amazon’s Prime Video platform.
“We are thrilled to partner with the NFL on this industry milestone, bringing to Peacock the first-ever exclusively livestreamed NFL playoff game,” said Pete Bevacqua, NBC Sports Chairman. He further stated that this partnership underscores Peacock’s growth and the importance of live NFL games to the platform’s programming strategy.
This shift towards digital platforms is a significant move for the NFL, indicating a growing recognition of streaming services as vital partners in delivering live sports content. While traditional broadcasts remain a key part of the NFL’s distribution strategy, the inclusion of exclusive streaming rights for significant events like playoff games is a clear sign of the evolving landscape of sports broadcasting.
