NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service is taking a cue from its rivals by introducing two new features: mini-games and a short-form vertical video feed. The company showcased these experiments at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Monday, as it struggles to keep pace with industry giants like Netflix, TikTok, and YouTube.

Starting this month, Peacock will begin piloting the new features on its iOS and Android apps, with a broader rollout planned for later this spring. During the initial testing phase, some users will see both the games and the vertical video playlists, while others will see one or the other, or neither. This phased rollout will allow the company to gather feedback and refine the features before a wider launch.

The introduction of these features is likely a response to Peacock's sluggish subscriber growth. With only 36 million subscribers, the service lags significantly behind Netflix's impressive 282.72 million. Since introducing its gaming division in 2021, Netflix has launched over 120 games, and YouTube and Sling TV have also rolled out free gaming offerings to compete.

Peacock's gaming initiative includes five titles: Daily Sort, Daily Swap, Predictions, What The, and Venn. These fast-paced games aim to enhance fan involvement with popular TV shows and sports programming by offering gameplay influenced by these titles. For example, the Venn game asks players to sort items into the appropriate circles based on a daily theme that relates to episodes of shows like "Below Deck." The Predictions game allows users to predict the outcomes of specific shows and sporting events, enabling them to return later and see how accurate their guesses were.

The streaming platform is also testing new curated vertical video playlists, which will feature short clips from Peacock's entire library, including TV shows, movies, sports, and news. These playlists will be updated daily and weekly, with many clips debuting exclusively on the app. Users can tap on the clips to be directed to the respective show's page, making it easy to jump in and watch.

The introduction of vertical video playlists could become a popular feature for viewers seeking quick entertainment, especially as the potential TikTok ban looms and users grapple with shorter attention spans. Peacock's move takes after Tubi, the Fox-owned free ad-supported streaming service, which also embraced short-form video with its new feature called "Scenes."

As Peacock continues to experiment with new features to enhance user engagement, it remains to be seen whether these initiatives will help the service gain ground on its competitors. However, by embracing gaming and vertical video, Peacock is taking a step in the right direction to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving entertainment industry.

In the broader context, Peacock's move highlights the ongoing trend of streaming services seeking to differentiate themselves through innovative features and content offerings. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Peacock's new initiatives fare and what other innovations emerge from its competitors.