Peacock expands into AI-driven video, mobile-first live sports, and gaming | TechCrunch

Peacock is making a clear bet on two things: AI and mobile-first entertainment.

Based on what the streamer previewed at a press event yesterday, Peacock’s mobile app is about to look a whole lot more like a mix of TikTok, a casual gaming hub, and a streaming service.

From an AI-powered “Bravoverse” vertical video experience narrated by a digital avatar of TV host Andy Cohen to vertical live NBA broadcasts and mobile games, Peacock is rolling out several new features designed to keep viewers entertained on their phones even longer.

The biggest reveal was a new feature called “Your Bravoverse,” aimed at viewers deeply immersed in Bravo fandom, home to addictive reality franchises like “The Real Housewives” and “Vanderpump Rules.”

The feature pulls short-form clips from more than 5,000 hours of Bravo footage and stitches them into personalized playlists. The best part (arguably) is that your guide will be a generative AI avatar of Andy Cohen, the famous reunion host for “The Real Housewives” franchise.

Users will start the experience by selecting their favorite Bravo shows and iconic moments. From there, the AI builds a personalized stream of clips. Then Cohen’s avatar acts as the narrator, introducing moments, connecting storylines, and even surfacing new shows viewers might not have watched yet.

Behind the scenes, Peacock says the system uses computer vision to identify key storylines and moments across its library. AI agents trained on Bravo fan behavior help determine what viewers care about most, while the platform stitches clips together across seasons and franchises. The result, according to Peacock, is more than 600 billion possible viewing variations.

If Peacock wanted a passionate fanbase to test AI storytelling on, Bravo viewers may be the perfect audience. Fans of the franchise are famously devoted, and reality TV creates the perfect bite-sized clips to start with. According to the company, the average Bravo viewer watches about 24 hours of Bravo content per month, while some of the most dedicated fans watch up to 75 episodes monthly.

“Your Bravoverse” launches on mobile this summer, with living room devices expected later.

Additionally, Peacock is experimenting with new ways to watch live sports on mobile. The company announced that fans will soon be able to stream live games in a vertical format, powered by AI-driven real-time cropping optimized for phone screens.

The feature will debut in beta during NBA games this spring. Users will find the vertical broadcasts inside Courtside Live, a mobile viewing feature Peacock introduced during the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. Courtside Live allows viewers to switch between multiple camera angles alongside the main broadcast, creating a more immersive way to follow the action.

This builds upon its short-form video feature launched last year. The feed surfaces clips from across Peacock’s catalog, including TV shows, movies, sports, and news. This summer, the company plans to expand the feature by giving vertical video its own dedicated section in the app, a move clearly inspired by TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, as streaming platforms increasingly compete with social media for viewers’ attention.

Peacock isn’t alone in exploring short-form video. Disney+ launched its own mobile short-form feed for U.S. users on Thursday, which features scenes and moments from its shows and films. Netflix has also said it plans to expand its short-form video features to promote new original video podcasts.

This also isn’t Peacock’s first experiment with AI. During the 2024 Summer Olympics, the platform introduced a generative AI recap that created personalized 10-minute summaries of the previous day’s events, narrated by an AI voice modeled after sports announcer Al Michaels.

The company is also expanding its mobile gaming lineup after introducing mini-games in the app last year.

The streamer is launching two new mystery games, Law & Order: Clue Hunter and Public Eye, which both come from AI gaming startup Wolf Games, co-founded by Elliot Wolf, the son of “Law & Order” creator Dick Wolf. NBCUniversal announced a partnership with Wolf Games in October to build immersive games, which involve gathering clues and using an AI assistant to help solve crimes.

Plus, Peacock is adding a daily trivia experience based on the iconic game show Jeopardy!. The title joins existing games on the app, such as Wheel of Fortune and Daily Swap.

All these updates hint at a bigger strategy for Peacock. Instead of competing purely as a traditional streaming service, the platform is trying to reshape its app into something much more interactive. The shift comes as the service looks for new ways to drive engagement and growth.

While Peacock recently added subscribers, the platform is still operating at a loss. Peacock has grown to 44 million subscribers, up from a plateau of 41 million subscribers that lasted for three consecutive quarters last year. However, the streamer reported a $552 million loss in Q4 2025.