New here? Start with this

YouTube Premium is Google's paid, ad-free version of YouTube, while Peacock is NBCUniversal's own streaming service, home to shows, films and live sports such as NFL games. The two firms have agreed a deal that will fold Peacock's ad-supported content into the YouTube Premium app from 2027, meaning Premium subscribers would get access to Peacock material without paying an extra fee on top of their existing subscription.

The deal matters because it marks an unusual partnership between two rivals in the crowded US streaming market, where companies increasingly bundle services together to make subscriptions feel better value and to reduce the number of separate apps and bills viewers have to juggle. It also comes at a significant moment for NBCUniversal, whose parent company Comcast is in the process of separating NBCUniversal and Sky from its broadband arm, making Peacock's growth and reach a closely watched issue.

The two companies already have a long-standing relationship through YouTube TV, a separate live-TV streaming package that carries NBCUniversal channels, and this new agreement extends that arrangement further. Together, these changes reflect how major media and technology companies are increasingly working together, rather than competing in isolation, as they try to attract and retain subscribers.