BravoCon 2025: Andy Cohen aims to ‘democratize’ the event by streaming on Peacock

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People who love Bravo TV and its reality stars are incredibly dedicated. As Andy Cohen, a key figure at the network, explains, BravoCon – a three-day event celebrating everything Bravo – is a huge deal for fans, similar to major events like the Super Bowl or the Olympics.

“I don’t think it’s hyperbole, especially for a Bravo fan, to say that,” Cohen said.

That’s why I’m so excited about what he and the team at Bravo and NBCUniversal have done this year! They really wanted to make sure BravoCon, happening this weekend in Las Vegas, was accessible to all of us fans, even those who couldn’t travel all the way to Sin City. It’s awesome they’re thinking of everyone!

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Andy Cohen, known for his success in reality television, is now taking viewers behind the scenes with his new series, “For Real: The Story of Reality TV,” which examines how the genre has changed over time.

I’m so excited for BravoCon this year! Peacock is really going all out with the coverage – we’ll get to watch the biggest panels live, and then everything else from the weekend will be available to stream on demand pretty quickly. Honestly, the highlights are incredible – five shows with Andy Cohen himself! Plus, they’re bringing out the casts of shows I love like ‘The Traitors’ and ‘Below Deck,’ and giving us first looks at what’s coming next season for shows like ‘Vanderpump Rules,’ which is coming back December 2nd with some new faces at SUR. I can’t wait!

After skipping a large convention in Las Vegas this year, BravoCon is coming back with smaller events in New York and Los Angeles. Despite the year off, tickets are still in high demand – weekend passes costing around $675 have already sold out, and only single-day tickets for $300 are left. Extras like the Bravos awards show and live show tapings start at $220. When you factor in travel and lodging, the event can be quite expensive, which Andy Cohen has expressed a desire to fix.

He explained that Bravo aims to be accessible to everyone. While tickets to BravoCon were limited, fans can still experience the event through Peacock, with plenty of content available on the streaming service. They want to avoid making the event exclusive and believe it’s important to be as inclusive and open to as many people as possible.

You can watch panels from the Bravoverse Live Stage as they happen, and rewatch them later. Panels from the Gold and Glam stages will be available on Peacock the next day at 9 a.m. Pacific Time. Check the BravoCon website for a complete schedule, as some events will also air on Bravo. Plus, select panels from the 2023 convention are still available to stream.

Frances Berwick, who leads Bravo and Peacock Unscripted, explained that the event is designed to welcome all Bravo fans. She’s excited about using streaming to attract new viewers, while also making sure the experience remains valuable and enjoyable for those traveling to Las Vegas.

We didn’t want to devalue the experience for those who bought tickets, because being at the event in person offers so much more – like seeing people face-to-face, getting close to the performers, meeting them, taking photos, and exploring the Bravo Bazaar. It’s a completely different experience than watching online. Because of this, we decided not to limit which panels were available to stream.

Ellen Berwick played a key role in making Bravo the successful network it is today, and she was essential in starting BravoCon in 2019. Both she and Andy Cohen told The Times that they began modestly with the first BravoCon, which took place in New York City. This year, Cohen anticipates 30,000 fans will travel to Las Vegas for the event.

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The people who run the biggest fan sites for the show are talking about their impact on Bravo and how the network interacts with them. One of them said, ‘Do people with talent reach out to me directly? Yes, they do.’

“There really aren’t too many entertainment brands that I think you could expect this type of audience to be galvanized around, and it just speaks to the loyalty and the passion of the fan base that we can do it,” Berwick said.

Berwick and Cohen describe the atmosphere at the event as incredibly upbeat, with people attending with friends or quickly making new ones. Cohen compares it to a wedding where everyone is happy for the couple. The organizers hope that even those watching from home can feel that same excitement, especially since they can join the conversation and react to all the announcements and events as they happen.

According to Matt Strauss, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, planning for BravoCon to be available both live and on-demand began five years ago with the launch of Peacock.

Strauss explained that their platform was specifically designed from the beginning to handle live broadcasts, as they believed in the potential of streaming technology. They’ve created a robust and thoroughly tested platform capable of handling large audiences.

Having live access was key, based on what the Peacock team observed with the success of “Love Island USA” this summer. They found viewers were driven by a fear of missing out on the social buzz. Because of this, Strauss and his team designed a special BravoCon experience within Peacock, making it easy to watch events live and offering customized playlists tailored to each user’s preferences.

Don’t worry about any technical issues with the live broadcast, Strauss assured viewers. He explained that their team has been working for months to ensure everything runs smoothly and provides a top-quality experience.

Cohen expressed his enthusiasm for making this year’s event even better and shared that the buzz surrounding BravoCon fills him with pride.

He explained that the show’s success really highlights the strength of the brand, noting it’s rare for a television show to still be a major topic of conversation in 2025, when it’s so difficult to get people’s attention.

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2025-11-13 14:35