Peacock Streaming Service May Achieve Profitability in Second Quarter of 2026

NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock may achieve its first profit in the second quarter of 2026, as indicated by Comcast executives during an earnings call on Thursday. The platform, which soft-launched in spring 2020 and fully launched in summer 2020, has faced challenges including a rollout affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The timing was intended to coincide with the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were postponed to 2021.

the first quarter of 2026, spanning January to March, Peacock reported a loss of $432 million. The service reached 46 million subscribers by March 31, 2026, up from 44 million at the end of 2025. Revenue for the quarter totaled $2.0 billion, an increase from $1.2 billion in the same period the previous year and $1.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025.

This growth was attributed to higher paid subscriber numbers and increased average rates.

executives noted that the first quarter included costs from half of the NBA season, consolidated into that period due to scheduling. The second quarter is expected to have lower relative costs, with about 25 percent of Peacock's NBA games occurring in that timeframe, similar to the fourth quarter of 2025.

The platform experienced strong performance in February 2026, featuring events such as the Winter Olympics and Super Bowl LX. Additionally, the first quarter marked NBCUniversal's separation from Versant, with NBCUniversal retaining assets including NBC, Bravo, Peacock, and studios, while Versant received cable and digital assets.

Executives expressed optimism about Peacock approaching profitability in the near term, citing a meaningful inflection point in its operations.