NBC is moving ‘Days of Our Lives’ to streaming and replacing it with a daily newscast
Like sands through the hourglass, so are the changing TV times as another longtime viewing habit will soon be disrupted.
“Days of Our Lives,” the daytime soap that has aired on NBC since 1965, is moving to network parent Comcast’s streaming platform Peacock on Sept. 12.
NBC announced Wednesday it will replace “Days” with “NBC News Daily,” a daytime newscast that will use the anchors from its live streaming news channel NBC News Now.
The anchors for the program will depend on the time zone, as the newscast will be live across the country, using the hours shown on the NBC News Now stream. Stations will get the team of Morgan Radford and Vicky Nguyen or Kate Snow and Aaron Gilchrist.
Latino issues will get a place at the table on the anchor’s new nightly newscast for NBC News Now.
The move reflects a continuing trend in the television business where scripted programs that have a shelf life are moving to streaming and on-demand platforms, while traditional TV is the domain for live news and sports.
“Days,” which is produced by Sony Television Pictures, will be available on NBC parent Comcast’s Peacock — immediately becoming the best known franchise to migrate exclusively to the platform.
Having a serial drama that has generations of fans could generate new subscriptions for Peacock, which has failed to grow at the rate of rivals Disney+, HBO Max and Paramount+ or generate much buzz.
“Days of Our Lives” is the last daytime drama on NBC’s schedule. ABC is down to one with “General Hospital,” while CBS has two, “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
The genre was once the most durable and profitable in network TV, but audience levels declined rapidly once DVR usage reached critical mass among consumers, enabling them to watch their favorite shows any time of day. Streaming has accelerated the decline.
The continuing drama presented reality shows such as “The Bachelor” have also chipped away at the fan base once owned by the soaps.
Still, the soap fans who are left remain passionate about their programs. But their loyalty will be tested when asked to pay a monthly subscription fee to continue to get their fix.
For NBC News, the move is an expansion of real estate on the network, which includes four hours of “Today,” and “NBC Nightly News” on weekdays, and two hours per week of “Dateline” in prime time.
NBC News Now has become the division’s go-to source for breaking news as cable channel MSNBC devotes more hours to political discussion and opinion. The daily program on NBC will expose the streaming service and its on-air talent to a new audience.
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