Days of our Lives will move from NBC to Peacock this fall, bringing up the question of whether this is the direction soap operas are headed in the future.
It marks the end of an era for NBC, which will no longer have a soap opera on the airwaves. For the first time since 1949, the network will not be in the soap opera business.
The heyday of soap operas has been long gone, with only four shows on network television today.
ABC has General Hospital. CBS has The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful, and NBC has Days of our Lives.
Days moving to Peacock this fall means only three soap operas with air on network television, bringing the industry’s future into question.
So, what does the move mean for Days of our Lives and the other soap operas? Let’s take a look.
Days of our Lives moves from NBC to Peacock
On Wednesday, Deadline broke the news that NBC will no longer air new episodes of Days of our Lives for the first time since the show debuted in 1969. The daytime drama will move to Peacock on Monday, September 12.
Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, revealed the decision would benefit both NBC and Peacock.
“With a large percentage of the Days of Our Lives audience already watching digitally, this move enables us to build the show’s loyal fanbase on streaming while simultaneously bolstering the network daytime offering with an urgent, live programming opportunity for partners and consumers,” he shared with the website.
NBC News Daily, anchored by Kate Snow, Aaron Gilchrist, Vicky Nguyen, and Morgan Radford, will replace the hit daytime drama.
In May 2021, NBC renewed Days for two years, meaning the contract will expire in May 2023. There is no news if the move to Peacock means more Days of our Lives or if this is strictly until the contract runs out.
All signs point to more Days on Peacock even after the current contract is up. Peacock has been a big supporter of Days of our Lives and the spin-offs Beyond Salem and A Very Salem Christmas.
Perhaps it just means Peacock will be the new home for all things Days. Only time will tell.
Is streaming the future for soap operas?
Days of our Lives moving to a streaming service could mean the soap opera landscape is changing once again.
As mentioned above, it’s, unfortunately, kind of a dying breed. However, streaming could help save the soap opera world. Not only does it bring the possibility of spin-off shows, but a streaming service can also save a show from cancelation.
The same parent company owns ABC and Hulu. General Hospital already airs episodes on Hulu, although later in the day once the episode has aired on network television.
CBS has the option of Paramount+, which currently airs new episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless.
While Days getting a new home on Peacock doesn’t necessarily mean anything with change for the other three soap operas any time soon, it does mean the powers that be on all three shows have been given something to think about.
What do you think of Days moving to Peacock?
Days of our Lives airs weekdays on NBC.