iWorld
NBCUniversal announces ad innovations for Peacock streaming service
Mumbai: US-based media conglomerate NBCUniversal held its first Peacock Newfronts presentation at the Highline Stages in New York City. During the presentation, the company unveiled two new ad innovations for the AVOD streaming service, extending the company’s One22 commitment to enhance the ad experience for consumers and marketers.
The Peacock Frame Ad keeps users connected to the content they love while a brand frames the experience with contextually relevant messaging and offers for purchase. Brands can leverage our robust first-party data through NBCUnified and a full suite of commerce capabilities including our new partnership with GoPuff, the instant commerce platform that delivers everyday essentials to a customer’s doorstep within minutes.
The streaming service is also exploring the Peacock In-Scene Ad, which would integrate a brand’s product and/or messaging during post-production. This prototype aims to find the right moments within top shows for more personalized messaging. This custom solution ensures maximum brand familiarity by showcasing the right product in the right content, at the right time, on the right screen.
Peacock Streaming Council Members will be the first partners to test these new ad innovations.
“At NBCUniversal, we are constantly developing new and impactful commercial innovations for our marketing partners,” said NBCUniversal president of advertising and partnerships Laura Molen. “With Peacock, we are testing and learning hand in hand with our partners by tapping into NBCU’s data, technology and creative capabilities combined with our iconic storytelling. Research shows that Peacock’s ad innovations deliver better results for our marketers than other CTV competitors all through the purchase funnel. No other media company out there can deliver the pristine ad environment we have already built as well as continue to evolve with our partners and viewers.”
“NBCUniversal has always been a leader in delivering ad-supported entertainment across platforms and we are proud to be setting the bar for what brands and consumers have come to expect with Peacock’s best-in-class AVOD streaming platform,” commented Peacock senior VP of product and UX John Jelley. “The majority of Peacock customers are opting for our ad-supported experience and we remain focused on collaborating with our brand partners to develop innovative, personalised ad experiences that continue to enhance the customer experience.”
“The Peacock Newfront is the next step in NBCUniversal’s series of partner events, designed to create a symphony of opportunity for our partners,” said NBCUniversal global CMO – advertising and partnerships Josh Feldman. “At One22, we unveiled the data-driven future of media and technology. Today, we put a spotlight on the future of streaming, and how we are furthering our commitment to Commercial Innovation with two new additions to the Peacock ad experience. As we look ahead to the Upfront later this month, we’ll continue to celebrate the content that informs, entertains and shapes our world.”
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
