Peacock, in many ways, has become a fascinating totem of legacy media’s journey into the streaming age. Launched in the summer of 2020, NBCU appeared keen to make a Goldilocks gamble in the streaming wars. Perhaps befitting its heritage as a cable company and cable systems provider, Peacock defied the pure-play logic of the day and entered the world as an AVOD system, leaning into the parentco’s strength in the advertising industry. And unlike Netflix et al., it made measured bets on new general entertainment options. All in all, then-C.E.O. Jeff Shell seemed to prophesize that the companies’ journey would be temperate and gradual. NBCU wasn’t going to disrupt itself, but rather build out streaming in concert with its linear assets.