The iconic peacock logo stretches from Paris to São Paulo.

As the 2024 NFL regular season kicks off, NBCUniversal will strengthen its hold on American sports fans with three games in four nights across its platforms, including the streaming service Peacock.

“Sports are a core part of Peacock’s identity,” said media analyst John Kosner to YSL News Sports.

After the season opener featuring the Kansas City Chiefs against the Baltimore Ravens on NBC, a Brazilian clash between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles will be streamed exclusively on Peacock. The weekend wraps up with the Los Angeles Rams battling the Detroit Lions on NBC during “Sunday Night Football.”

“They can definitely keep the momentum going,” Kosner noted, “and this is likely part of the NFL’s strategy.”

However, the return on investment for Peacock and other streaming platforms remains uncertain, according to fellow analyst Dan Rayburn, who argued that the NFL’s strategies could hinder fans who want to enjoy games without hassle.

“The NFL is more fragmented compared to any other sports league, and it’s all driven by money,” Rayburn told YSL News Sports. “That’s the bottom line.”

Last season, Peacock reportedly spent $110 million for exclusive streaming rights to the wild-card playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. This year, the NFL awarded that exclusive postseason streaming to Prime Video for $120 million. Netflix shelled out approximately $150 million for two Christmas Day games, which will occur on a Wednesday this year.

“The NFL is the most sought-after content on American television, making it a smart investment,” Kosner remarked.

According to Nielsen, the NFL produced 93 of the top 100 broadcasts in the United States last year based on viewership ratings. Among major U.S. streaming platforms, only Apple does not hold NFL rights; Netflix and Amazon are in, while Disney, Paramount, and NBCUniversal boast streaming services as parts of their larger companies.

A common argument from the NFL regarding the shift to streaming is its potential to attract a younger audience. However, apart from Amazon and Nielsen for “Thursday Night Football,” few companies release demographic data.

“Teenagers typically don’t have disposable income,” Rayburn pointed out.

Additionally, the NFL argues that games made exclusive on streaming are still available on traditional television within local markets. This approach overlooks fans who have relocated and wish to continue following their teams without additional costs.

“The NFL’s priorities lie in maximizing profit, not in catering to fans,” Rayburn asserted. “While making money is the league’s job, it’s crucial to recognize that fans will only endure so much inconvenience to enjoy the sport.”

Caution over subscriber churn?

During the Olympics, every event was accessible for live streaming on Peacock. NBC also introduced “Gold Zone,” inspired by the NFL’s “RedZone” concept, for concurrent events and even hired Scott Hanson to host the program.

Peacock reported losing 500,000 subscribers in the second quarter of 2024, countering any gains made during the Olympics. Matt Strauss, chairman of NBCU’s direct-to-consumer segment overseeing Peacock, indicated to Rayburn that the company views its streaming service as a long-term endeavor.

“This isn’t just about quarterly results; it’s part of a broader strategy,” Rayburn explained.

“If they lose half of their subscribers next quarter, it’s not a major concern,” he added.

Nonetheless, subscriber retention remains a significant worry, which is why platforms like Peacock seek year-round content, as Kosner highlighted. This is the reason for NBCU’s investment in the latest NBA media rights deal: subscriptions require compelling reasons for users to stay. Sports’ appeal tends to be enduring.

While companies like Antenna assert they accurately track streaming service sign-ups and other consumer metrics, Rayburn claims there is no substantial evidence supporting long-term success in sign-ups. Antenna noted that Peacock gained 3 million new sign-ups in the lead-up to and on the day of the wild-card game—outpacing the first week of the Olympics, according to IndieWire.

Streaming platforms infrequently disclose data specifically about streaming performance outside of overall subscriber numbers. Metrics such as mobile viewership and average watch time are seldom shared, and unique viewership isn’t typically differentiated. Technical issues often go unmentioned as well.

“We currently lack concrete metrics to evaluate the impact of NFL content licensing on these streaming services,” Rayburn stated. “While it’s clear the NFL is reaping massive profits.”

Executives often express satisfaction with performance or that viewership has “exceeded expectations,” Rayburn noted. Kosner added that Peacock’s representatives tout the number of subscribers and the viewership figures from last year’s playoff game. He also mentioned that more advertising would likely be coming to streaming platforms soon.

Rayburn is not satisfied with that.

“I need actual figures,” he stated.

Viewership Insights

Thanks to the excitement surrounding Taylor Swift, the Chiefs-Dolphins playoff match attracted an average of 23 million viewers, making it the most-streamed event live in U.S. history.

This time, however, record-breaking numbers should not be anticipated.

Firstly, it’s only Week 1 and not the playoffs. Kosner mentioned that the Packers and Eagles are both among the top-10 teams in terms of ratings for the league, but he refrained from predicting viewership numbers due to various factors that could influence the ability to watch this game.

The Friday following Labor Day still counts as a “summer Friday.” High school football games are happening in many regions across the nation. Additionally, much of Europe will be asleep during the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.