Fans of the reality series universe and Bravo network stars are loyal and fierce. According to Andy Cohen, the creative force behind the network, BravoCon, the three-day celebration of all things Bravo is like the Super Bowl or the Olympics for them.
“I don’t think that’s an exaggeration, especially for a Bravo fan,” Cohen said.
That's why he and executives at Bravo and its parent company NBCUniversal were interested in holding BravoCon this year, running Friday through Sunday at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, for fans who can't make the trip to Sin City.
Peacock will provide the broadest coverage of the event, offering live access to live panels on the main stage, as well as next-day on-demand streaming of several other weekend events. Highlights include five “BravoCon Live With Andy Cohen” shows, panels with cast members from hit series “Traitors” and “Traitors.”Below Deck” and a sneak peek at the upcoming seasons of some beloved Bravo favorites, including “Vanderpump Rules“, which returns on December 2nd with a new line-up of “SUR-vers”.
BravoCon is returning after organizers decided to skip the Vegas convention in 2024, instead holding more intimate gatherings in New York and Los Angeles. But even with a year-long hiatus, the event's popularity hasn't waned: General admission wristbands for the weekend, which cost about $675, have sold out, leaving only $300 day passes remaining. Additional experiences like the glamorous awards show, Bravo and live tapings start at $220. These costs, along with travel and accommodations, make the event unaffordable for many fans. That's what Cohen wanted to change.
This year, Cohen will take part in two “Ask Andy” sessions where fans can ask the Real Housewives host and executive producer their burning questions.
(Nicole Weingart/Bravo)
“Bravo is a place for everyone,” he said. “If you couldn't get tickets to BravoCon, you can be there on Peacock and you'll be hyper-served on Peacock. [We] I don't want to feel like this whole event is behind a huge paywall. This is a kind of democratization of the event. “I just think it’s really important that it’s as inclusive as possible and that the tent is as big as possible.”
Viewers will be able to stream panels held on the Bravoverse Live Stage in real time and have the opportunity to revisit panels on demand, while every panel held on the Gold and Glam Stages will be available on Peacock the next day at 9 a.m. PT. (Select events will also air on Bravo; full schedule is on the BravoCon website.) Select panels from the 2023 convention are also available to stream on the platform.
Frances Berwick, chair of Bravo and Peacock Unscripted, emphasized the goal of making the event inclusive for all Bravo fans and said she hopes to “invite new and different viewers” into the Bravo world through streaming accessibility. However, the core event team wanted to ensure that quality and value were maintained for those heading to Vegas.
“We didn't want to reduce the value of tickets for ticket payers, but there's actually so much more to being there – in terms of meeting people, meeting talent, meet and greets, photo ops, Bravo Bazaar – that it's a completely different experience,” she said. “We realized that this should not be taken into account in terms of containing any panel [from streaming access]”
Berwick is credited with helping build Bravo into the powerhouse it is today, and she was instrumental in the launch of BravoCon in 2019. She and Cohen, speaking with The Times on various issues, said they started small, with the first BravoCon in New York. This year, Cohen said he expects 30,000 fans to descend on Las Vegas for the weekend.
“There really aren't many entertainment brands that I think you could expect this type of audience to be excited about, and it just speaks to the loyalty and passion of the fans that we can do this,” Berwick said.
According to Berwick and Cohen, the weekend atmosphere is overwhelmingly positive, with attendees traveling in person with friends or making friends at the event. Cohen says it's “like a wedding where everyone loves the bride and groom.” He and those behind BravoCon hope that viewers at home will still feel that energy, especially since they will be able to participate in the discussion of all the news panels and events that unfold in real time.
More than 150 Bravolebrites are taking part in BravoCon panels and events this year.
(Nicole Weingart/Bravo)
The mechanism to make BravoCon available for both live and on-demand streaming has been in development for five years since Peacock launched, said Matt Strauss, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group.
“We've always built a platform that was designed to support live streaming because we really wanted to get a feel for the pulse of what we thought was possible with streaming,” Strauss said. “We have built a platform at scale that has been tested.”
Live access was critical as the Peacock team learned a lesson about viewers when the show's final season aired. “Love Island USA” dominated the platform and pop culture in general this summer: “FOMO. People didn't want to lose sight of the social aspects,” Strauss said. He and his team created a “holistic user experience” in Peacock specifically for BravoCon, with easy access to real-time action and personalized playlists based on users' interests.
According to Strauss, fans shouldn't worry about problems with live content. “Our job is to provide a world-class experience that just works,” he said, noting that the event was months in the making.
Cohen said he's looking to expand on that experience this year and believes the excitement about BravoCon is a “great source of pride.”
“It's a testament to the strength of this brand,” he said, “one of the few brands in television that can dominate the pop culture conversation, even in 2025, a place that's so hard to break into.”
