NBCUniversal Considers Major Gaming Expansion After Comcast Split

NBCUniversal is reportedly exploring a significant expansion into the video game industry as it prepares to separate from Comcast, potentially transforming its extensive collection of film and television properties into a broader interactive entertainment business.

According to a new Reuters report, the company is evaluating opportunities in digital gaming and the development of new entertainment franchises as part of its future growth strategy. The planned separation is expected to create 2 publicly traded companies, with one centered on Comcast’s connectivity and technology operations and the other built around NBCUniversal’s film studios, television networks, Peacock, Sky, and Universal theme parks. The transaction is currently expected to close around the middle of 2027.

Michael Cavanagh, who is scheduled to become Chief Executive Officer of NBCUniversal following the separation, suggested that operating independently would allow the entertainment company to examine markets that were previously outside its central strategy.

“We have the freedom now to explore adjacent businesses where we have the right to play.”
— Michael Cavanagh

Reuters reported that no gaming acquisitions or corporate combinations have been discussed and that any potential transaction would likely take place after the separation. Comcast will initially retain a 19.9% interest in NBCUniversal, while the newly independent entertainment business will need to operate separately for at least 1 year to preserve the intended tax structure of the transaction.

NBCUniversal would not be starting a gaming operation from nothing. The company already operates Universal Games and Digital Platforms through Universal Products and Experiences, where it manages licensed games, digital products, and partnerships built around its entertainment properties. The division has worked with external developers and publishers on titles covering Jurassic World, Fast & Furious, DreamWorks Animation, Universal Monsters, and other brands.

NBCUniversal has also begun integrating games directly into Peacock. The streaming platform announced Law & Order: Clue Hunter, an interactive mystery game developed with Wolf Games, alongside an original narrative project called Public Eye and a Jeopardy game designed for mobile users. This means the potential post separation strategy is more accurately described as a major gaming expansion rather than the company’s first entry into the sector.

The company’s intellectual property portfolio provides considerable opportunities. Jurassic World is among its most established gaming brands, with Frontier Developments already producing the successful Jurassic World Evolution management series. Jurassic World Evolution 3 launched in October 2025 through a partnership between Frontier and Universal Products and Experiences.

A more cinematic interpretation is also already underway. Saber Interactive is developing Jurassic Park: Survival, a single player action adventure game set on Isla Nublar immediately after the events of the original 1993 film. Players will need to explore the island, avoid dinosaurs, and use stealth and environmental tools to survive, placing the project close to the tense survival experience that many fans have requested from the franchise.

Fast & Furious remains another obvious candidate for further investment. Its combination of street racing, international locations, vehicle customization, heists, and cinematic action could support an open world racing game with cooperative missions and continuing content. Universal has previously licensed the franchise for console games, arcade machines, and collaborations with titles such as Rocket League, although it has yet to establish a consistently successful premium gaming series comparable to the films.

DreamWorks and Illumination properties could provide a different commercial opportunity. Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, Despicable Me, and Minions are well suited to accessible platformers, cooperative adventures, and family focused games. Their global recognition could allow NBCUniversal to serve younger players while creating products that connect games with films, merchandise, streaming, and theme park attractions.

Battlestar Galactica offers potential for a more mature project. Its combination of political conflict, fleet management, space combat, artificial intelligence, and survival could support a strategy game, narrative role playing experience, or large scale space simulation. Back to the Future could work as a story driven adventure built around altered timelines, while Universal Monsters could support a gothic action role playing game featuring Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolf Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Law & Order could also expand beyond its upcoming Peacock mobile experience. Its structure naturally supports investigation, interrogation, courtroom decisions, and branching narrative systems, potentially creating an experience influenced by detective games and interactive dramas.

Reuters also reported that Comcast previously considered acquiring Activision and Electronic Arts and explored taking an equity position in Epic Games. These discussions did not result in transactions, but they indicate that gaming has been under consideration within Comcast leadership for some time. The company also maintains a major partnership with Nintendo through Universal theme park attractions and animated films, although Nintendo continues to own and control its gaming properties.

NBCUniversal could approach the industry through several strategies. It could continue licensing properties to experienced external studios, acquire an established publisher, invest in selected developers, build a publishing organization, or create internal production teams. Building AAA studios independently would require years of recruitment, technology development, management infrastructure, quality assurance, and production experience, making acquisitions or partnerships the faster and less risky path.

The current wave of studio closures and layoffs has also placed a large amount of experienced talent on the market. However, available developers alone do not guarantee successful games. NBCUniversal would still need long term leadership, realistic schedules, strong creative direction, and a willingness to give development teams enough independence to build games around their medium rather than treating them as promotional extensions of films.

NBCUniversal possesses many of the ingredients required to become an influential gaming company, but intellectual property ownership is only the starting point. The gaming industry is filled with recognizable franchises that failed because publishers assumed brand familiarity could replace strong design, stable technology, and disciplined production.

The company’s greatest advantage would be its ability to connect games with films, Peacock, television, merchandise, and Universal theme parks. A successful Jurassic World or Fast & Furious game could become part of a continuous entertainment ecosystem rather than a product released only to accompany a new film.

Its most effective strategy would likely combine external development partnerships with a stronger internal publishing and production group. NBCUniversal does not need to build every game itself, but it needs enough gaming expertise to select appropriate studios, protect development schedules, maintain quality, and ensure each franchise is adapted into the right genre.

The separation from Comcast may provide that strategic freedom. Whether NBCUniversal becomes a serious gaming competitor will depend on whether it treats games as a long term creative business or simply another licensing channel.

Which NBCUniversal franchise deserves a major video game first: Jurassic World, Fast & Furious, Battlestar Galactica, Shrek, or Universal Monsters?