NBCUniversal is taking a bigger step into AI with the rollout of a virtual Andy Cohen guiding viewers through their own personalized “Bravoverse.”
The move follows a similar effort to mobilize a simulation of sportscaster Al Michaels to deliver highlights from the 2024 Paris Olympics. As competition in streaming continues to intensify, companies are under pressure to make their apps daily destinations for subscribers. In January 2026, Peacock drew just 1.8% of viewing through TV screens in the U.S., ranking ninth among free and subscription players.
The idea behind the “Your Bravoverse” feature, which will debut this summer, is to give fans of Bravo new ways to engage with the Real Housewives and other properties directly on the Peacock app.
A blend of human curation and AI tools link scenes based on user preference, weaving together connected storylines and surfacing behind-the-scenes to create what the company says will be “an endlessly swipe-able playlist.” Cohen’s avatar appears in the lower third of the screen to provide brief setups to the footage.
Cohen, whose Bravo show Watch What Happens Live was created during the pre-streaming era with a similar goal of capturing organic conversation among fans, is a full participant in the AI initiative. Videos of him are labeled as being AI-generated, an especially important step in 2026, when Hollywood’s above-the-line unions are in contract talks with NBCU and other studios and streamers. Sensitivities around AI shaped the previous round of talks – and helped lead to the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes – and are once again a central issue in bargaining.
While the digitally enhanced host was not in attendance, a press preview of the new offering was held Thursday at NBCU’s 30 Rock headquarters. Matt Strauss, chairman of NBCU’s media group, was joined by Frances Berwick, chairman of Bravo and Peacock unscripted and John Jelley, SVP of product and user experience, Peacock and Global Streaming at NBCUniversal, at the hour-long briefing.
Cohen did contribute a quote to the official press release. Your Bravoverse, he said, will take chatter among fans “to the next level by bringing AI into the mix and creating an experience that’s intuitive, interactive, and built entirely around the Bravo fandom. It’s the best of AI and the best of Bravo, helping fans discover shows, dive deeper into their favorite moments, and connect with the Bravo universe like never before – all guided by me. Well, not exactly me, but a version of me!”
Strauss called Your Bravoverse a “first-of-its-kind feature with NBCUniversal content – pairing our deep Bravo library with agentic and gen AI to create a personalized experience at scale, built in collaboration with Andy Cohen. And as the first platform to offer vertical video across genres and gaming within the app, these latest enhancements on Peacock will help fans easily follow the action and go deeper into the content they love.”
Berwick, who was installed in her role a bit more than a year ago, laid out a larger view of Bravo’s appeal during her remarks. “What makes Bravo unique,” she said, “is that our audience behaves less like a traditional passive TV audience and much more like a community. Our viewers don’t simply watch our shows, they engage with them, they share them, they debate them, they become virtual friends with our talent. And most importantly, they’re incredibly loyal.”
Along with the Bravo expansion, Peacock is also adding live vertical video for NBA telecasts, as well as a Jeopardy! casual game and games linked to Law & Order.
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