Brave New World looks to compete with prestige sci-fi shows like Westworld and The Handmaid's Tale.
NBC / Peacock
Peacock, a streaming service from Comcast-owned NBCUniversal, fully launches July 15 in the US with a big library of shows and movies, plus exclusive original programming. Competing with the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max and others, Peacock is the last wave in the flood of new streaming services from tech and media giants that have launched in the last year.
Technically, Peacock launched already -- but not for everyone and not with everything. Peacock kicked off as a "sneak peek" April 15 only for Comcast cable customers.
But the nationwide launch on July 15 will widen the service to anyone in the US who wants to use it, and Peacock's first original shows and movies will drop then too. A limited version of the service will be free with advertising. You can unlock the full catalog of shows and movies for a price, and if you preorder an annual subscription before launch, you can get a $20 discount for the first year. (Full details on the discount are below.)
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, however, several plans for Peacock's wider rollout were upended. Filming production of original programming is largely shut down now, and the plan to piggyback Peacock's national launch on NBC's live coverage of the summer Olympics is moot now that the games have been pushed back to 2021. So when Peacock does launch in July across the US, it won't be precisely what NBC envisioned.
But the service will have a number of new original shows and movies to watch July 15. Peacock launch slate of originals available includes Brave New World, which is Peacock's marquee sci-fi drama adapting Aldous Huxley's novel, and a Psych movie sequel. (More details on the full launch slate below, too.)