Peacock is launching a new interactive experience later this month, which will allow fans to stream live episodes alongside the show’s actors, featuring real-time reactions, commentary and live Q&As.
The feature, titled “Watch With,” kicks off Feb. 24, the day after the premiere of the second season of Peacock’s Bel-Air reboot series Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Viewers can experience the new experience at 9 p.m. ET, where they can catch the premiere of “Bel-Air,” starring Jabari Banks, who plays Will on the show, and Olly Sholotan, who plays Will on the Carlton show.
When users join the live stream, they see a split screen view. While the premiere episode plays on one side, there is a video overlay of Banks and Sholotan reacting to scenes, making comments and answering questions. It will also keep track of how many fans are watching. Users can ask questions via social media using the hashtag #WatchWithPeacock.
The company previously announced “Bel-Air” as the highest-grossing original show in the streaming service’s two-year history, breaking records for new subscribers, usage and upgrades to the premium tier. In May 2022, the company announced that “Bel-Air” had reached 8 million accounts. Peacock recently reported a total of 20 million paying subscribers.
photo credit: peacock
Other Peacock shows will eventually get the View With feature. For example, it expands to Eurovision, the live music competition starring presenter and two-time Olympian Johnny Weir. Fans of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip will soon enjoy commentary from Candiace Dillard Bassett and Marysol Patton. Peacock will announce more titles later.
Some subscribers may have already seen a trial version of the Watch With feature. Last year, Peacock tested the product for The Real Housewives of Miami, starring Larsa Pippen and Marysol Patton.
“Now that we’ve surpassed our ratings, we’re really encouraged by the initial testing of ‘Watch With’ as a way to provide fans with a live community experience. As we work to create an unparalleled audience experience at Peacock, we look forward to continuing to experiment with product innovations that enhance the streaming experience and disrupt the cultural ethos,” said John Jelley, Senior Vice President of Product and UX at Peacock. .
The feature appears to be an evolution of the average “watch party” feature many streaming services offer, allowing family and friends to watch their favorite shows together.
Netflix offered a similar experience last summer when it partnered with viewer-sharing platform Scener to give Stranger Things fans the chance to attend a virtual party for the season 4 finale with cast members David Harbor. , Brett Gelman, Joseph Quinn and Jamie Campbell. Bower attended the event for a live Q&A.
Watch With is the latest interactive experience from Peacock. The streaming service is also launching “Choose Your Reality,” an interactive storytelling feature that allows Peacock Premium subscribers to immerse themselves in selected scenes and watch long clips such as bonus features and interviews.
Choose Your Reality kicks off the third season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, which premieres later this year.
Peacock will likely release these interactive features to make its paid plan more attractive to users. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the company announced that its losses continue to mount and reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $978 million. In addition, Peacock is no longer offering its free tier to new customers and continues to shift its focus to its premium offering.
Source: La Neta Neta
Jason Jack is an experienced technology journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in computer science and engineering, he has a deep understanding of the latest technology trends and developments. He writes about a wide range of technology topics, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, software development, and cybersecurity.
