In March, Peacock began testing a new and exclusive movie benefits program that would reward Premium and Premium Plus subscribers with either a free movie ticket via Fandango or an on-demand movie rental through Vudu every month. The NBCU-owned streaming service is rolling it out to additional subscribers as part of a “Summer Test.”
“We are always exploring new ways to deliver even more value to Peacock subscribers, so we are currently testing a program that provides some subscribers with movie benefits from Fandango and Vudu,” The NBCUniversal spokesperson told TechCrunch.
Select customers on the service’s free tier reported receiving emails highlighting the program, which is valued at up to $15 per month. If the subscriber upgrades their account to any paid tier by June 13, they will receive a benefit code for either $15 towards a ticket via Fandango or a $7 rental through Vudu every month. (Comcast, the parent company to Peacock, also owns Fandango and Vudu).
The promotion is only available to eligible Peacock members that receive the invitation email, we understand.
Image Credits: Peacock
It will be interesting to see if the added benefits will incentivize streaming subscriptions, as Peacock likely hopes. Our guess is that it’s unlikely that the majority of subscribers that have the basic free plan would be willing to pay for Peacock’s Premium tiers just by getting one free movie. However, an NBCUniversal spokesperson told TechCrunch that the feedback has been “very positive thus far.”
There is also a possibility that this test is to see if a new bundle with Fandango and Vudu can work at a higher price.
The spokesperson added that the test is expected to “last several months.” The exact duration of the program is unknown, but as long as the customer remains subscribed to a paid tier, they will have access to these benefits until the program is over.
Components of the offer are subject to change, according to the spokesperson, however, they did not elaborate on how specifically the offer could evolve. The service’s terms also confirm the offer can be changed at any time.
Some other details that subscribers may not like is that once the customer has applied the promo code, any unused balance will automatically expire. Also highlighted in the Terms of Use was that the cost of the Fandango movie ticket will have a convenience fee added, so if the total is more than $15, then the customer must pay the difference. In addition, the user will not only be required to have a Vudu account but additional taxes on a Vudu rental may be owed as well.