NBCUniversal"s streaming service Peacock has taken an unusual strategy to promote its original comedy series "Killing It" amidst ongoing strikes in Hollywood. With many shows halting production due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, Peacock has posted the full first episode of Killing It season 2 on TikTok.
The episode, broken into five parts, is available on Peacock"s official TikTok account. Each video clip ranges from three to eight minutes long. Sources say this move could help draw new viewers to the show since talent cannot fully promote their work during the strikes.
This marks the first time Peacock has offered an entire episode for free on the popular short-form video platform.
Killing It stars Craig Robinson (The Office) as a security guard who enters the world of competitive python hunting to achieve his dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. The comedy also features Claudia O"Doherty as an Uber driver who introduces Robinson"s character to the lucrative snake-hunting business.
The second season, which premiered on Peacock in July, follows the duo as they try to grow their palmetto berry farm while dealing with human visitors and a problematic snail infestation.
Peacock also recently posted episodes of Bupkis starring Pete Davidson on YouTube. This is a signal of a shift to utilize free digital platforms more amidst the entertainment industry disruptions. With production stalled, streaming services are getting creative in order to attract and retain subscribers.
On the other hand, a similar move was made by Apple TV+. The streaming service streamed the first episode of its sci-fi fantasy series Foundation on YouTube on July 10. However, the video has been private since the second season premiered on July 14.
It also followed the streaming of the first episode of Silo on Twitter last month. The first episode received tens of millions of views on the platform ahead of the show"s season finale.