"SNL" and "The Voice" will be some of the shows that are moving from Hulu to Peacock. NBC has now reclaimed its rights with their original shows and are now taking it back.
This move comes from the previous deal signed in 2019. With this investment, the audience can expect that starting September, new seasons of their favorite shows will air on Peacock.
The deal also shows that NBC will not pull all of its shows out of Hulu. Several shows will transfer to Peacock, and numerous others will still stay in Hulu.
Hulu Shows Headed to Peacock
NBCUniversal is now taking back its rights from Hulu. NBC shows that were previously on Hulu will now stream on Peacock. This report is also confirmed by a NBCU representative. The rep stated that the company's agreement with Hulu had been terminated.
A spokesperson for Hulu issued a statement in which she emphasized that the streaming service is focusing on original programming.
As reported by Variety, a company representative stated:
"With the proliferation of streaming services entering the marketplace, we have long anticipated changes to our third-party content offering and over the past few years have increased our investment in original content."
NBCU's broadcast and cable lineup for the 2022-23 season will no longer be available on Hulu.
These shows will include new episodes of popular NBC shows such as "Saturday Night Live," "The Voice," "Law & Order: Organized Crime," and "Saturday Night Live: Live from the Met Gala."
The decision of NBCU to bring back its original shows to Peacock is expected since its direct to video deal with Hulu in 2019. According to the terms of the agreement, NBCU would have the right to cancel the majority of its content-licensing agreements with Hulu by 2022.
NBCU CEO Jeff Shell stated that their strong NBC titles are streaming in Hulu and in time, they would like to bring it back to Peacock.
NBC Shows on Hulu
For a few more years, Hulu will have exclusive streaming rights to NBCUniversal catalog content, which includes shows such as "Law & Order: SVU," "This Is Us," "The Mindy Project," "30 Rock," "Parenthood," "Friday Night Lights," and "Will & Grace."
This also include "Bloods" and "Creamerie," two new international series from NBCU that were added to Hulu's library in December.
Insiders at Disney have attempted to put a positive spin on NBCU's decision to pull its current shows from Hulu.
In the first instance, they claim that it will free up content dollars, allowing Hulu to invest more aggressively in original content, including content from corporate cousin studio partners across the Walt Disney Company.
Hulu will no longer be required to pay for some of NBC's most popular shows, the agreement may allow the streaming service to pursue more original programming. The change is expected to take effect during the upcoming broadcast season, possibly in September or October of this year.
Furthermore, the termination of the NBCU next-day licensing agreement gives Hulu greater control over the ad inventory available on the service.
The Verge reported that Comcast is expected to sell its 33% ownership stake in Hulu to Disney as early as January 2024.
In exchange for which the company will receive at least $5.8 billion in cash and potentially billions more in additional proceeds.
The agreement represents a significant victory for NBCUniversal's fledgling Peacock network, which has relied heavily on its rights to major sporting events such as the Olympic Games and Super Bowl LVI to attract subscribers in recent years.
