Peacock’s YouTube Channel is the ultimate destination for fan exploration and engaging storytelling, immersing audiences in the world of our library: from timeless NBC shows like SNL, The Office, and Parks and Recreation, to exclusive Originals 📍
In 2023, our objective was to scale our channel subscribers over the 1M mark and beyond 📈 To do this, we would need to invest in a new medium, Shorts, without cannibalizing the bread-and-butter of our channel, longform ⚖️
📏 Sizing up Shorts:
By the end of 2022, it was clear that audience consumption preferences were shifting. With YouTube itself going all in on building out their new Shorts product, we knew we’d be remiss not to follow suit.
After some successful testing in early Q1 2023, we made it a goal to increase our Shorts content increasingly each month to scale our efforts and retain engagement.
Repurposing 9x16 video from Instagram Reels and TikTok, was required but we never posted a carbon copy. Key to our strategy was editing the content to be purpose-built for this audience, like adjusting first frame video hooks in line with YouTube behavioral data.
❤️🔥 Rooted in Fandom:
At the core of our content creation lies a deep understanding of our fan passions and internet culture. It’s their comments, watch-time patterns, and search behavior that drive our content strategy.
Example: We were the destination for fans eager to watch topical highlights from the Vanderpump Rules Season 11 Reunion, highlighting the first on-camera conversations cast members had from the fallout of ‘Scandoval’—one of 2023’s most viral reality TV scandals.
Whether reigniting the joy of beloved characters, iconic scenes, or forgotten storylines, we seek to evoke nostalgia while offering fresh experiences that surpass expectations.
From unearthing a young Olivia Rodrigo's guest appearance on "New Girl,” highlighting Film references you probably missed in Suits, or spending a day in the life on-set with the cast of Bel-Air, we deliver value to our audiences with refreshing viewing experiences that compels them to lean in.
🧪 Always Testing and Learning:
Launched a bespoke content series, “Making A Scene”, enabling us to leverage talent from our original series in a repeatable and on-brand way – from John Carpenter in Suburban Screams to Kaley Cuoco in Based on a True Story.
Launched a “Most Searched for Scenes" compilation series, driven by platform search patterns.
Frequent dabbling in lesser-known titles that we double down on when we see traction. Little House on the Prairie is a perfect example of this, a surprising homerun that helped us reach an ancillary fandom and introduce a new show, genre, and talent to our channel.
Peacock’s YouTube channel surpassed its 1M goal, reaching a whopping 1.5M subscribers, a +138% YoY gain. Shorts contributed 60% of that growth.
We also saw a +300% increase in our channel’s organic views (up from 491.M in 2022) and a +1300% increase in Shorts organic views (from 30.3M in 2022).
Ultimately, Shorts was a major driver in our 2023 results, supporting our strategic hypothesis that investing in this new medium (a +180% YoY increase in Shorts content production, btw) would pay off.
