Peacock streams World Cup in Dolby AC-4, a streaming first

This deployment marks the shift of Dolby’s next-generation broadcast audio standard into the streaming stack. By successfully supporting 104 matches, Dolby demonstrates that AC-4 can handle the scale and latency requirements of premium live sports while significantly reducing bandwidth overhead. This establishes a competitive moat against royalty-free alternatives by offering streamers a path to lower delivery costs without sacrificing immersive audio quality. For the broader ecosystem, it signals that the transition toward ATSC 3.0-aligned technologies is moving beyond terrestrial airwaves and into IP-based platforms. Watch for other Tier-1 streamers to announce AC-4 support as they seek to optimize 4K/HDR delivery costs for the next rights cycle.

The Peacock deployment aligns with Dolby's broader FY2026 strategy to offset sluggish hardware unit growth by expanding licensing into automotive and live sports. Per a May 2026 earnings report from Seeking Alpha, Dolby's management confirmed that Meta has adopted Dolby Vision for iOS content on Instagram and Facebook, while Douyin has enabled it for both iOS and Android. These mobile integrations, alongside the BMW 7 Series Atmos rollout, are critical for Dolby's roadmap to reach nearly 50% of its licensing revenue from Atmos, Vision, and imaging patents by 2029.

Industry analysts at Kavout noted in April 2026 that Dolby’s Broadcast Licensing segment grew to 32% of total licensing revenue in Q2, up from 27% year-over-year. This growth is increasingly tied to major live sporting events. Per TV Technology, Peacock previously aired 'Sunday Night Football' in Atmos in late 2025 and has committed to extending Dolby Vision and Atmos coverage to NBA and MLB games throughout the 2026 season.

However, the rollout faces friction in the hardware sector. While Hisense and TCL have confirmed support for the newly unveiled Dolby Vision 2, What Hi-Fi? reported in January 2026 that LG’s flagship 2026 OLED lineups, including the G6 and C6, will not support the updated standard. This inconsistency in OEM adoption remains a primary risk as competitors like Samsung push 'HDR10+ Advanced' as a royalty-free rival. Furthermore, the slow terrestrial transition to NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) has pressured Dolby to prove AC-4’s value in the pure-play streaming market to meet its $1.6 billion revenue target for 2029.