Peacock Doubles Down on Vertical Video to Capture Mobile Streamers

In the race for viewer retention, Peacock is changing the shape of streaming.

Major streaming services are shifting their focus to mobile-first content, moving beyond traditional television formats to capture daily smartphone users. Peacock recently advanced this strategy by launching an original vertical series, an unscripted Bravo show called "Campus Confidential."

The move mirrors initiatives from Disney Plus and Netflix, which are designing mobile feeds to reach a broader audience. Research shows about 16.7 million U.S. households access the internet exclusively through smartphones rather than fixed home broadband. Vertical feeds allow entertainment companies to reach these cellular-only consumers.

Matt Strauss, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, said the goal is to drive daily app habits.

"We're trying to give people reasons to open up our app every single day," Strauss said.

Strauss said that the company wants viewers to spend more of their "video calories" on Peacock.

To handle the volume of content, networks rely on artificial intelligence. Peacock uses automated technology to track and crop widescreen live sports into a vertical format in real time. The strategy has already shown results. During the Olympics, 20% of viewers who watched a vertical clip clicked through to the full broadcast. Peacock also plans to launch "Your Bravoverse," a personalized vertical feed narrated by an AI version of host Andy Cohen.

For advertisers, the format combines the high engagement of social media with the brand safety of traditional television. Features like Peacock's upcoming "Shop What Happens" interactive commerce tool will let users buy products directly through the app, turning short-form mobile content into a primary revenue driver.

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