Uh-oh, no one can watch Peacock on Roku NBC's Peacock TV service debuted today (July 15), but it has run into a familiar problem

That is, NBC's new streaming service, like HBO Max, is not compatible with either Roku or Fire TV, two of the most popular streaming device platforms in the US

While other platforms exist, the streaming service would be fighting against the wind if it attempted to launch without supporting Roku and Amazon Fire TV As of last year, Roku had 39% of the US streaming device market, while Amazon Fire TV had 30% That means Peacock cannot stream on 69% of streaming devices in the country

In an interview with CNET, Matt Strauss, chairman of Digital Enterprises for Peacock and NBCUniversal, downplayed the possibility of no apps for Roku and Fire, saying, ""We are discussing with everyone We want to make the app available on all platforms, but we promise to launch on a date we set""

The Motley Fool highlights two major reasons why these new streaming services are not on the largest platforms: the first is user data; Peacock and HBO Max's parent companies, AT&T and Comcast, are not in full control, but Roku and Amazon do not want to put these new services on their platforms without getting something in return

Then there are the ads; Peacock's two cheaper tiers have ads, but not that many--about 3 to 5 minutes per hour--and if Roku and Amazon put ads in these apps (they already do in many streaming service apps ), Peacock's profits would plummet

When Disney Plus launched last winter, we knew about Roku's support months earlier, as of the August 2019 press email

In contrast, when HBO Max launched in late May, there was hope that Roku and WarnerMedia might be able to broker a last-minute agreement to make the new service Roku-compatible from its inception, but that did not happen and more than a month later, HBO's new service is not Roku-compatible; nor is it on Amazon Fire TV devices This means that HBO Max can only reach 31% of US streaming players, and Peacock may be slowly walking towards the same challenge

During our review of Peacock's early launch period (free for Comcast customers with certain hardware), we tested it on the Xfinity Flex While we liked the service's vast content library, we also noted a lack of original productions (several are slated for launch, including an adaptation of "Brave New World")

For a full list of devices supported by Peacock:

Since Peacock has had not one but two launches, a soft launch for Xfinity customers and a broader rollout for everyone else, NBCU I assume they wanted to perfect it for the launch (narrator's voice: they didn't) The people using the service for free on their Xfinity devices are Peacock's public beta testers, and all that remains is to add the new exclusive programming and make it available for everyone to just have to make it available for streaming

Hopefully the gap in supported devices will soon be overcome for everyone from streamers to providers and even advertisers who take advantage of Peacock's free tier