Peacock TV: Everything you need to know about the NBC streaming service
This guide is your one-stop shop for all things Peacock.
Over the last few years, NBC's Peacock has become one of the most popular streaming services around, offering a huge content library full of popular TV shows, blockbuster films, and even live sports for as little as six bucks a month.
Unfortunately, Peacock recently got rid of their popular free plan, leaving new users with the choice between the ad-supported Premium plan for $5.99 per month and the ad-free Premium Plus tier for $11.99 per month. Users who started their free account before the update will still get to enjoy content at no cost to them, but other folks are out of luck. That being said, $5.99 for over 80,000 hours of content still makes Peacock one of the most affordable streaming services you can join.
Whether you're considering joining the streaming service or you've been a member since their launch in 2020, if you have a question about Peacock TV, this guide will answer it.
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Peacock TV: Starting at $5.99 per month
NBC's Peacock streaming service gives users access to new and classic NBC series, as well as late-night talk shows, sports, original series, and more. Plans start at just $5.99 per month for the ad-supported Premium plan, or you can go ad-free and get the ability to download content for offline viewing with the $11.99/month Premium Plus plan.
How much does Peacock cost?
Like we mentioned above, Peacock offers a Premium ad-supported tier for $5.99 a month, which gives you the content library of over 80,000 hours, next-day access to new shows, over 50 live channels, and live sports.
The top-tier Premium Plus plan costs $11.99 a month and boasts all of the interruption-free content that your heart desires, plus extra goodies like 24/7 access to your local NBC news channel and the ability to download select titles for offline enjoyment. You also have the ability to pay for a full year of Peacock in advance and save 17% on your purchase. That discount brings the annual cost down to $59.99 and $119.99 for the Premium and Premium Plus plans, respectively.
In which countries is Peacock available?
Peacock is currently only available in the United States and the following U.S. territories: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marian Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. However, NBC promised at launch that it is striving to "give consumers broad access to Peacock across web, mobile and connected-TV devices." There have also been rumors that NBCUniversal plans to expand the service into the UK in the near future.
Until NBC expands the service, viewers who are traveling outside the U.S. who want to take advantage of the offerings on Peacock will have to access the streaming platform using a VPN, which lets you encrypt your Internet connection and circumvent certain international restrictions while still keeping your information secure.
What devices support Peacock?
Peacock is now available on Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, iPhone/iPad, Web Browsers, Android Phone/Tablet, Android TV, Xbox, VIZIO Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, and LG Smart TV, alongside a wide variety of other streaming devices.
While the Peacock App wasn't initially available on Amazon TV devices, it's now available on the brand's entire Fire TV lineup, including the Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Stick Lite, and Fire TV Smart televisions. It's worth pointing out, however, that the streaming service is still missing on Nintendo Switch.
If you plan to access PeacockTV.com via a browser, the streaming service is also compatible with Chrome OS, macOS, and Windows PC desktops and laptops.
Platform | Peacock |
---|---|
Android phones/tablets | ✔️ |
Android TV | ✔️ |
Chromecast | ✔️ |
iOS & iPadOS | ✔️ |
Apple TV (with tvOS 13 or above) | ✔️ |
Fire tablets | ✔️ |
FireTV devices | ✔️ |
Roku (select models) | ✔️ |
Xbox One/X/S | ✔️ |
PlayStation 4/5 | ✔️ |
Nintendo Switch | ❌ |
Smart TVs | Samsung via AirPlayLGVIZIOSony BraviaXfinity FlexXfinity X1 |
Browsers | Chrome 75+ (Windows/Mac)Firefox 88+ (Windows/Mac)MS Edge 80+ (Windows/Mac)and Safari 12+ (Mac) |
What shows and movies are on Peacock?
Among the content that Peacock subscribers have access to are classic NBC series, like The Office and Law & Order, and fresh Peacock originals, such as the reality TV hit The Traitors and crime comedy-drama Poker Face. A selection of series that originally aired on CBS, Showtime, The CW, and BET are also streaming on Peacock. As stated above, users who opt for the Premium or Premium Plus tiers will have access to more content.
Regarding film content, Peacock is also home to a rotating lineup of over 900 Universal and Paramount films, including recently-released Hollywood films like Nope and the widely acclaimed Oppenheimer.
Unique to both tiers of the Peacock platform is the impressive lineup of live and on-demand sports coverage. Specifically, subscribers can stream episodes of sports talk shows such as The Dan Patrick Show, The Rich Eisen Show, and Brother From Another. Peacock is also the exclusive United States hub for live Premier League matches and on-demand replays. Currently, 175 games per Premier League season are exclusive to Peacock.
Sports on Peacock
In addition to the sports coverage listed above, NBC was the go-to streaming hub for the entire 2022 Winter Olympics, including live and on-demand domestic and international competitions of seven winter Olympic sports: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and biathlon events.
Other sports-related content on the streaming service includes Paralympics coverage, U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open, and Ryder Cup golf, as well as the Dale Earnhardt, Jr.-hosted Lost Speedways and In Deep with Ryan Lochte.
Back in March 2021, Peacock subscribers also gained access to all content produced by the WWE Network, which is now part of the streaming platform. Subscribers get access to every WWE Live Event, including Wrestlemania, as well as every episode of Raw and SmackDown. Additionally, the ad-free Premium Plus tier, which costs $11.99 per month, includes the ability to watch select titles while offline.
Themed channels on Peacock
One of the biggest difference between Peacock and its competitors may be that NBC's platform offers "channels" of TV. These channels aren't direct live streams but function as curated, themed feeds featuring shorter programming or full episodes of shows that have previously aired on television.
An example would be the Today All Day channel, which serves as a digital extension of the NBC's hit morning show, or the Dateline 24/7 channels, which airs previous episodes from all 30 seasons. Subscribers will also see curated channels centered on WWE, Below Deck, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, among other series.
Account limits, profiles and parental controls
In addition to being compatible with various streaming devices, Peacock allows subscribers to stream content on up to three different devices. Peacock also allows each account to host up to six separate profiles, so that individuals with access to the same account can create their own profiles and save their streaming preferences.
Peacock subscribers have the ability to limit the TV shows and movies that children may access by setting parental controls. Just navigate to the Settings section and turn the Parental Controls feature to "ON." You'll then be asked to create a PIN, which will be required before content at or above the age-related rating you have selected can be viewed.
Peacock
Peacock is the right service for viewers looking to re-watch classic NBC series, like The Office and Law & Order, as well as late-night talk shows, sports, and hit original series like Poker Face.
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Keegan Prosser is a freelance contributor based in the PNW. When she's not writing about her favorite streaming apps and devices for Android Central, she's listening to a true-crime podcast, creating the perfect playlist for her next road trip, and trying to figure out which fitness tracker she should try next. You can follow her on Twitter @keeganprosser.
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