Peacock pushes into AI video, mobile-first live sports, and gaming experiences

Peacock is making it increasingly clear that it is betting heavily on two major trends: AI and mobile-first entertainment.

Based on what the streaming service previewed at a press event yesterday, Peacock’s mobile app is preparing to look much more like a hybrid of TikTok, a casual gaming destination, and a traditional streaming platform.

From an AI-powered “Bravoverse” vertical video experience narrated by a digital version of TV host Andy Cohen to vertically formatted live NBA broadcasts and mobile game additions, Peacock is introducing a range of new features built to keep viewers engaged on their phones for even longer stretches.

The biggest announcement was a new feature called “Your Bravoverse,” aimed at viewers deeply invested in Bravo fandom, the home of reality franchises such as “The Real Housewives” and “Vanderpump Rules.”

The feature draws on short-form clips taken from more than 5,000 hours of Bravo footage and assembles them into personalised playlists. Perhaps the most attention-grabbing part is that the guide through this experience will be a generative AI avatar of Andy Cohen, the well-known reunion host for “The Real Housewives” franchise.

Users begin by choosing their favourite Bravo series and memorable moments. From there, the AI creates a customised stream of clips. Cohen’s avatar then serves as narrator, introducing scenes, linking together storylines, and even recommending shows that viewers may not have seen yet.

Behind the scenes, Peacock says the system relies on computer vision to identify important storylines and standout moments across its library. AI agents trained on Bravo fan behaviour then help determine what viewers are most interested in, while the platform pieces clips together across multiple seasons and franchises. According to Peacock, there are more than 600 billion possible viewing combinations.

If Peacock wanted a highly engaged audience to experiment with AI storytelling, Bravo fans may be an ideal test case. Viewers of those franchises are known for being intensely loyal, and reality TV naturally lends itself to short, highly shareable clips. Peacock says the average Bravo viewer watches about 24 hours of Bravo programming each month, while some of the most dedicated fans watch as many as 75 episodes.

“Your Bravoverse” is scheduled to launch on mobile this summer, with support for living room devices expected later.

Peacock is also testing new ways for people to watch live sports on mobile. The company said viewers will soon be able to stream live games in a vertical format, using AI-powered real-time cropping designed specifically for phone screens.

That feature will first launch in beta during NBA games this spring. Users will be able to access vertical broadcasts within Courtside Live, a mobile viewing feature that Peacock introduced during the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. Courtside Live allows viewers to switch between multiple camera angles alongside the main broadcast, offering a more immersive way to watch the action.

This builds on Peacock’s short-form video feature introduced last year. That feed surfaces clips from across Peacock’s catalogue, including movies, TV series, sports, and news. This summer, the company plans to expand the feature by giving vertical video its own dedicated section in the app, a move clearly influenced by TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts as streaming services increasingly compete with social platforms for attention.

Peacock is far from alone in leaning into short-form video. On Thursday, Disney+ launched its own short-form mobile feed for users in the U.S., built around scenes and moments from its films and shows. Netflix has also said it plans to expand short-form video features to promote new original video podcasts.

This is also not Peacock’s first use of AI. During the 2024 Summer Olympics, the platform introduced a generative AI recap feature that produced personalised 10-minute summaries of the previous day’s events, narrated by an AI voice modelled after sports broadcaster Al Michaels.

The company is also expanding its mobile gaming lineup after first introducing in-app mini-games last year.

Peacock is launching two new mystery games, Law & Order: Clue Hunter and Public Eye, both of which come from AI gaming startup Wolf Games, co-founded by Elliot Wolf, the son of “Law & Order” creator Dick Wolf. NBCUniversal announced a partnership with Wolf Games in October to develop immersive games centred on gathering clues and using an AI assistant to help solve crimes.

On top of that, Peacock is adding a daily trivia game based on the iconic quiz show Jeopardy!. That title joins other games already available in the app, including Wheel of Fortune and Daily Swap.

Taken together, all of these changes point to a broader strategy for Peacock. Rather than competing solely as a conventional streaming service, the platform appears to be reshaping its app into something much more interactive and multifunctional. The shift comes as Peacock looks for new ways to drive both engagement and growth.

Although Peacock has recently added subscribers, the service is still losing money. Peacock has grown to 44 million subscribers, up from the 41 million level where it had remained stuck for three straight quarters last year. Even so, the streaming platform reported a loss of 552 million in the fourth quarter of 2025.