Originally published on The Daily Flare.
Peacock is testing conversational AI search as part of a broader mobile-app refresh, NBCUniversal said on November 11, with trials scheduled to continue into early 2027.
The search tool is designed to let viewers start with a title, mood, theme, similar program or situation, then refine what they are looking for through follow-up requests in a chat on Peacock. The company is also working on changes to the mobile homepage aimed at helping users return to shows they already watch and discover other content.
The planned homepage includes a “Jump Back In” feature at the top of the app. Peacock is also testing new discovery formats called Trending Stack, Direct Access and Explore Mode, which TheWrap described as giving viewers different levels of control and interaction. NBCUniversal has not provided a single firm launch date for all the updates.
Another planned feature, Franchise Hubs, will bring content and experiences tied to a particular franchise together on the homepage. NBCUniversal says those hubs can include related episodes, clips, podcasts, games, microdramas and live moments. Examples named by the company include Minions, The Traitors, Love Island USA and One Chicago.
The rollout is planned in phases. The new homepage design and conversational AI search are due to come first. Live video reframing and reformatting, along with Franchise Hubs, are expected early next year, while Trending Stack, Direct Access and Explore Mode are planned for the first half of next year. NBCUniversal said testing of the app updates is already under way and will continue through early 2027.
Peacock is also expanding tests of vertical video for live programming. The next tests are set to include live simulcasts of The Voice, NCAA basketball games and golf. TheWrap reported that the work is intended to inform a dynamic video player that can switch between vertical and horizontal playback based on how a viewer is holding their device.
For future NBA games, Peacock plans to place player statistics and other game information directly below the live feed in a dual-screen view. The company has previously tested a live NBA game in vertical format: in an April 2026 test, nearly 20% of viewers watched at least part of the game vertically.
NBCUniversal Media Group product and UX senior vice president John Jelley told reporters that streaming homepages can leave users to sort through content themselves. “Every streamer today is really a sea of sameness on the homepage. Because they’ve taken a TV experience and largely ported it over, they are expecting the user to do the sorting,” he said. “We see an opportunity to recognize what a fan is trying to accomplish in that session and make the next most useful action easier to find.”
The company says mobile is a significant part of Peacock’s audience: about 40% of its 48 million subscribers use the app regularly. NBCUniversal Media Group chairman Matt Strauss said people who watch Peacock on both television and mobile typically show “double the engagement” compared with users of one device, though he did not give a measurement period in the remarks reported by TheWrap.
Peacock’s existing short-form video activity is another part of the mobile strategy. TheWrap reported that clip viewing has more than tripled since 2024 and that the Clips tab’s launch was followed by a week-over-week doubling in reach. During the 2026 Winter Olympics, one in five viewers who watched highlight clips tapped through to live coverage.
The service also offers mobile games and microdramas. Users spent up to 15 minutes playing games including Law & Order: Clue Hunter and Public Eye, and more than one-third of Peacock ScoreCard players returned for multiple games during its initial season. Sessions with microdramas such as Campus Confidential and Salon Confessionals lasted up to 30 minutes; Peacock adds newly acquired microdrama titles each Monday.
Peacock accounted for 1.4% of streaming viewership on televisions in August, according to Nielsen figures cited by TheWrap. The app changes are intended to connect viewers with NBCUniversal shows, films, sports and other franchise content across mobile browsing and live viewing.
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