Jio Cinema Gets Big Programming Thrust With Multi-Year NBC Universal Tie-Up

NBCUniversal (NBCU) and JioCinema, Viacom18's streaming service, have entered into a multi-year partnership bringing thousands of hours of NBCU films and TV series to India.

NBCU's programming will be housed in a Peacock branded hub starting next month on JioCinema's newly announced JioCinema Premium SVOD tier.

Here, viewers will have access to first-run series such as 'Young Rock', a heartfelt comedy starring global superstar Dwayne Johnson that tells the story of his life and the people he has met along the way; riveting action thriller 'The Lazarus Project'; and 'The Lovers', a dark romantic comedy.

Indian audiences can also enjoy Peacock Originals. including 'Bel-Air', a dramatic reimagining of the '90s comedy series that starred Will Smith; 'Pitch Perfect': 'Bumper in Berlin', a spin-off series starring Adam Devine, who reprises his character from the hit film; and 'The Calling', an investigative drama series from Emmy winner David E. Kelley, directed and executive produced by Oscar winner Barry Levinson, and co-composed by Oscar winner Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro.

Critically acclaimed and fan favourite dramas and comedies from NBCU's vast library, including 'Downton Abbey', 'Suits', 'The Office', 'Parks and Recreation' and 'The Mindy Project', are also a part of this deal.

There's a lot also for fans of reality television in the form of NBCU's unscripted series. Encompassed in the deal are shows like the hugely popular 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' and 'Vanderpump Rules'.

These will be streaming in addition to 'Family Karma', which follows seven Indian-American friends as they navigate life, love, careers and the expectations of their traditional families; and 'The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning', a transformational show -- narrated by Amy Poehler -- where three Swedes (an organiser, a designer and a psychologist), known as the 'Death Cleaners', come to America to help people face mortality.

Further contributing to JioCinema's impressive SVOD lineup at launch will be the streaming premieres of movies from the iconic Hollywood studio, which has already amassed more than $2 billion at the global box office so far in 2023. This includes DreamWorks Animation's Oscar-nominated 'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish', and the sci-fi horror film 'M3GAN', from James Wan (producer of 'The Conjuring', 'Annabelle') and 'Blumhouse'. Joining these recent hits will be blockbuster films in the Jurassic, Bourne, Shrek, The Mummy and Pitch Perfect franchises.

Movies from the smash-hit 'Despicable Me/Minions' and 'Fast' franchises, including the newly released 'Fast X', as well as 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' and the highly anticipated IMAX-shot epic thriller 'Oppenheimer' from Christopher Nolan, will also be heading to the service in the future.

This partnership, according to the media announcement, leverages JioCinema's reach and expertise to introduce Indian audiences to the Peacock brand and NBCU's portfolio.

JioCinema, meanwhile, cements its position as the largest OTT service in the market, now reinforced by an unprecedented volume of best-in-class films and series from NBCU.