In a Nutshell
pros
- 40,000+ hours of free content
- 50+ always-on channels
- Uncluttered, user-friendly interface
cons
- Phone support not available
- Not accredited by the Better Business Bureau
Peacock: Plans & Pricing
Free
Best for watching TV and movies without obligation
Premium
Best for unlocking all content
Premium Plus
Best for avoiding ads and watching offline
*A small amount of content will still contain ads due to legal streaming rights
How Much Does Peacock Cost?
With access to TV shows and movies such as The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, you may be more than satisfied with Peacock’s extensive selection of free content.
However, you could consider upgrading to a paid service if you want access to its full library of TV and movies, which includes content such as the Harry Potter movies and live sports events. As a paid member, you can also watch NBC shows such as Law & Order: SVU and Saturday Night Live via Peacock’s next-day streaming service.
If you’re keen to watch ad-free programming or download movies and TV for offline viewing, the more expensive Premium Plus plan could be right for you.
In terms of pricing, Peacock’s fees for its paid services are lower than many of its competitors. Likewise, its selection of free programming is easily one of the most impressive on the market.
How Does Peacock Work?
If you’d like access to Peacock, the first step is to enter your email address into the company’s website and select your chosen plan. You’ll then need to create an account by providing information such as your name, date of birth, and zip code. Note that you won’t need to enter any credit card information to create a free account.
If you’re a Cox Internet customer with an Essential or above video package, you may also have access to the Premium service as part of your plan. Likewise, the Premium service is available to Xfinity and certain Spectrum TV or internet customers.
Once your account is up and running, you can stream Peacock on these platforms and devices:
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Fire TV
- Roku
- Xfinity
- Android phones/tablets
- iPhones/iPads
- PlayStation
The service will allow you to stream on up to 3 devices simultaneously. You can find a full list of eligible devices here.
In addition to its on-demand offering, Peacock provides free access to more than 50 TV channels. As the company is a subsidiary of NBC, many of its channels are from the network.
Available TV channels include
- NBC News Now
- Sky News
- WWE Network
- NBC Sports
- Premier League TV
- GolfPass
You can find a full list of free channels here.
In addition to network TV, the service offers Peacock Originals—content that is either produced by Peacock or for which the provider owns exclusive streaming rights. Some of the most popular examples include One of Us is Lying, Below Deck, Bel Air, and Vigil. You should note, however, that this selection is more limited than some competitors’ offerings.
That said, Peacock could be a particularly good choice if you’re a fan of classic sitcoms, as its selection includes favorites such as Cheers, Punky Brewster, Monk, and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
If you’re a Spanish speaker, the service could also be an attractive option, as it includes a wide selection of programming under the Latino button on its interface.
Overall, we found Peacock’s interface extremely user-friendly and less cluttered than those offered by some of its more expensive competitors.
Is Peacock Reliable and Safe?
Peacock has a rating of 1.5 out of 5 on Trustpilot, which is classified as bad. While those who rated the service highly praised its selection of classic shows and its strong customer service, dissatisfied customers complained of technical difficulties and were frustrated with the high number of ads.
The company isn’t accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
Help and Support
You can contact Peacock 24/7 through live chat on its website. Alternatively, its agents are available over email or through direct messaging on Twitter and Facebook. Social media support hours are 9am-1am (ET) every day. You should note, however, that phone support isn’t available.
When we contacted the company over social media, we received an extremely helpful response in less than 5 minutes.
If your query is more general, Peacock has a selection of FAQs on its website that answered most of the questions we had about the service and how it operates. It doesn’t, however, have a blog.
What About the Peacock App?
If you want to stream Peacock on the go, you can download the app from Google Play or the App Store.
You can use the mobile app to perform the same streaming functions as on any of your home devices. If you have a Premium Plus subscription, you can also download available titles to your mobile device for offline viewing.
The app has a rating of 4.4 out of 5 in Google Play and 4.6 out of 5 in the App Store, with many users praising the quality of its sports content.
Bottom Line
With an impressive selection of free programming, Peacock is certainly worth a look if you want access to a streaming service but are worried about the price tag. And if you’re a sports fan or would like next-day streaming for hit NBC shows, it may be worth upgrading to one of its (reasonably priced) paid plans. The most significant downside we encountered is that the company doesn’t offer customer support over the phone.
Although Peacock doesn’t offer a free trial on its paid plans, you can get a flavor of its content by creating a free account and then deciding whether you’d like to upgrade.
