Peacock embraces 4K
Peacock will air continuous, all day 4K HDR sports coverage on Super Bowl Sunday including coverage from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. It is the first time both major events will be shown in UHD on NBC and Peacock. Peacock will also launch a Mobile Multiview beta test during the Olympics offering events including a dedicated Curling multiview and new social sharing tools that let users share live moments with others from the app via text, as well as Olympic highlights, and results from Peacock’s trivia games. Viewers will be able to watch two of the most popular sporting events with extended coverage of every event during the Olympics.
The Circana Take:
- Staying current with technology is important to the enthusiast and provides superior experiences. Peacock’s subscriber base is likely to grow during the month of February as viewers tune into the action.
TCM’s pact with Looney Tunes Library
TCM signed a six-year licensing deal bringing the Looney Tunes library to the channel. Starting in February TCM will air 45 shorts featuring Bugs Bunny followed by a curated selection of more than 750 related full-length features. The first short will be the Oscar-nominated, Tex Avery-directed A Wild Hare (1940), considered the first official Bugs Bunny cartoon. Shorts also featuring Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, and Wile E. Coyote will continue to air on TCM after February, with select titles branded as TCM Premieres. In 2022, HBO Max removed over 250 Looney Tunes shorts when its license expired and WBD did not renew.
The Circana Take:
- This one is interesting as Warner Bros. Discovery owns both TCM and HBO Max. The company is essentially shifting the licensing agreement from within, with a focus on linear broadcast TV rights as opposed to restoring the content to HBO Max streaming. Is this a sign of the pending Warner Bros. split?
Sundance Now to rebrand
AMC Networks announced that Sundance Now is rebranding the service focused on indie film and festival titles. Sundance Now is airing films straight from their theatrical runs during the current Sundance Film Festival which is currently taking place. The streaming service will also show monthly film premieres, including titles from the IFC such as “100 Nights of Hero” and “Forbidden Fruits”. New spotlight titles will also be added every Friday as well as an overall curated library with refreshed monthly collections.
The Circana Take:
- AMC Networks is looking to position Sundance Now as the go-to streaming service for independent films by bulking up its offering and giving subscribers access to the latest content to watch in the comfort of their home.