Top Comcast exec moves to NBCUniversal to lead Peacock streaming service
The shakeup comes as NBCUniversal prepares to enter into the content streaming business, which has been dominated by companies such as Netflix and Hulu.
NBCUniversal has tapped Matt Strauss, a longtime executive at Comcast Corp., to oversee its upcoming streaming service, called Peacock.
Strauss, who lives in Cherry Hill, was named chairman of Peacock on Monday as part of a management shakeup at NBCUniversal’s television studios. Strauss was most recently executive vice president of Xfinity services for Comcast, where he oversaw the cable giant’s video, internet, home, and voice businesses.
Peacock is set to launch in April with 15,000 hours of content. Unlike ad-free Netflix, Peacock will be supported by advertising, with an ad-free version available for a fee that has not yet been disclosed.
NBCUniversal, owned by Comcast, is a late entrant into the streaming business, which has been dominated by companies such as Netflix and Hulu.
Peacock was developed under Bonnie Hammer, who will now head NBCUniversal Content Studios, a newly created part of the company that will house its television studios. Hammer and Strauss will both report to Steve Burke, NBCUniversal’s CEO, the company said.
Strauss was one of the “pioneers of video-on-demand” and helped launch X1, Comcast’s video platform, its voice remote, and cloud DVR, among other services, according to NBCUniversal. He was also an architect of Xfinity Flex, a Roku-like streaming box that aggregates streaming services and is free for Comcast’s internet-only customers. Strauss joined Comcast’s senior management team in 2004.