Muting a commentator without silencing the roar of the crowd used to be fantasy. At CES this week, Peacock and Dolby sketched how that fantasy could become everyday for sports fans.
NBCUniversal’s Peacock announced it will rollout a full slate of Dolby enhancements — Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and next‑gen codecs such as Dolby AC‑4 (and an eye on Dolby Vision 2 down the line) — across live sports and other content. The practical upshot: sharper picture, clearer dialogue amid chaos and, crucially, audio tracks that can be personalized in the player so viewers choose how much announcer, camera mic or stadium ambience they hear.
A simple control, a big change
David Bohunek, NBCUniversal’s senior vice president of global video engineering, told industry insiders the plan is to give users simple UI sliders: crank up commentary, dial down the crowd, or mute play‑by‑play entirely. The idea grew out of an oddly candid moment — after Peacock’s first exclusive NFL stream, league and network execs called at halftime with opposing requests: one wanted commentary louder, the other wanted crowd noise turned up to amplify emotion. Dolby’s AC‑4 and personalized audio features aim to let both be right, at once.
Why streaming can do this (and linear TV can’t)
Personalized multitrack audio like this requires modern codecs and devices that can unpack and mix multiple stems at the user end — something streaming can iterate on quickly. Dolby’s John Couling pointed out that streaming platforms move faster than traditional broadcast, and transmission limitations mean these features will largely remain streaming‑first.
Expect to see the tech in action first on Peacock’s Spanish‑language World Cup coverage this summer, then rolled into NFL Sunday Night Football, NBA and MLB offerings.
Who can actually enjoy it at home?
Not every living room will benefit right away. To take full advantage you’ll need a streaming device and a display or sound system that supports the new formats. That means newer TVs (and set‑top boxes or streaming sticks) — or a streaming box like an Apple TV for homes that want better device support. And while some TV makers have already pledged support for Dolby Vision 2, others are holding back.
An uneven device landscape
Dolby has confirmed brands such as Hisense, TCL and Philips will support Dolby Vision 2 in 2026, but notable holdouts exist. LG told industry outlets it has no plans to support Dolby Vision 2 this year, and Samsung continues to back its rival HDR10+ family — even launching HDR10+ Advanced as a counter to Dolby’s next wave. That competing push shows the format wars aren’t over; manufacturers and streaming services are juggling technical tradeoffs, licensing and marketing angles as they pick sides. For background on Samsung’s HDR10+ move, see Samsung’s HDR10+ Advanced coverage [/news/samsung-hdr10-plus-advanced].
What this means for fans — and for Dolby
For viewers, the headline is control. Some people have loudly wanted the ability to hear the game as it sounds in the stadium; others prize the narrative the commentators provide. Letting users set the mix changes the relationship between production and audience — broadcasters can still produce the classic mix, but it no longer has to be the only option.
For Dolby, Peacock’s full‑stack adoption is a high‑profile win that validates its roadmap and licensing model. It also feeds investor narratives about Dolby’s reach across streaming, cinema and automotive — though competitive codecs and device fragmentation remain risks.
A larger trend: user controls everywhere
This personalization push sits alongside wider UI experiments across tech. Companies are testing ever more granular audio and voice controls in apps and search interfaces, a sign that users will soon expect the same “turn the announcer down” simplicity across services. Google’s experiments with floating audio controls and a stop‑listening toggle are one small example of the trend toward more flexible sound controls in consumer products [/news/google-search-live-controls].
A final thought (no neat summary, just a note)
If Peacock and Dolby deliver what they promise, watching sports will feel less like accepting a single broadcast opinion and more like tuning a radio for the soundtrack you want — with the camera and picture to match. Whether that becomes table stakes or a niche perk will depend on how quickly TVs, boxes and viewers catch up.