Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

What is Peacock?

For decades, network television was the only game in town for TV. Cable networks expanded the offerings, but the streaming services have created peak TV. Direct-to-consumer is the future of the medium, and it’s no longer enough to simply have a single network or a few cable affiliates.

NBCUniversal used to partner with Hulu for its streaming needs. The company also launched a short-lived streaming service called Seeso, which was primarily dedicated to comedy series. But now, NBCUniversal has Peacock, a new streaming service that’s meant to compete with Hulu, Amazon, and possibly even Netflix itself.

Related Watch The Office online

The key to Peacock’s rise comes from a few places. First is its competitive price. Second is that it’s part of the massive NBCUniversal family. Peacock is also aggressively moving into original programming, which complements its large library of TV shows and movies produced by NBC and Universal Pictures, among others. That alone may make Peacock a contender in the streaming wars. But before you take sides, we’re here to help you decide if Peacock is right for you.

How much does Peacock cost?

Peacock Premium is now the lowest tier you can get. (There used to be a free option.) You still have to watch ads. But for $5.99 a month, you can watch anything on Peacock. That includes every movie, TV show, live sports including Premier League, Telemundo Spanish-language series, and more. That’s an even cheaper price than Disney+.

The final tier of service is Peacock Premium Plus, which is $11.99 a month. Premium Plus has everything that Peacock Premium has. The difference is that the ads will largely be gone. Peacock notes on its site that some events, including sports, may have ads because of pre-existing agreements. For the most part, Premium Plus puts the ads in your rear-view window.

A selection of films and shows from Peacock's menu

More on Peacock

What do you need to watch Peacock?

A web browser is a good place to start. Peacock supports Chrome, Firefox, MS Edge, and Safari, as well as Android and iOS tablets. Playstation 4 and Xbox One gamers can find Peacock on their respective consoles. Peacock also works with Android TV-enabled smart TVs, including Sony Bravia, and select set-top boxes like NVIDIA Shield.

Apple TV, Chromecast, LG Smart TV, and Vizio TV are all supported, in addition to select cable box sets from Cox and Xfinity. Also, after a long standoff, Peacock is now wavailable on Roku devices.

Which movies are included on Peacock?

One of the advantages of having the Universal library at its disposal means that Peacock has a great movie selection and some classic titles right out of the gate. That includes American Pie, Back to the Future, Despicable Me, Do the Right Thing, Erin Brockovich, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Evan Almighty, Field of Dreams, Jurassic Park, King Kong, and more.

There are also a selection of films from other studios, including American Beauty, Catch Me If You Can, The Graduate, The Godfather Trilogy, Reservoir Dogs, and Shrek, among others.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is on Peacock now!
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Which TV shows are on Peacock?

Peacock excels when it comes to television. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Peacock has several of the best TV series of all-time. That includes 30 Rock, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Battlestar Galactica (2004), Cheers, Columbo, Everybody Hates Chris, Everybody Loves Raymond, Frasier, Friday Night Lights, Knight Rider, Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Law and Order: SVU, Leave It to Beaver, Magnum P.I., Miami Vice, Monk, Murder She Wrote, Parks and Recreation, Psych, The Munsters, and, The Rockford Files.

Admittedly, those shows do tend to skew towards an older audience. Current NBC series are also among the lineup for Peacock, including American Ninja Warrior, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Ellen’s Game of Games, Hollywood Game Night, Titan Games, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and the recently concluded revival of Will & Grace. Paramount Network’s hit series, Yellowstone, also has a home on Peacock.

If you love late-night comedy, Peacock is also the place to find new and classic episodes of Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers.

What original series are on Peacock?

Until recently, A.P. Bio was a comedy series on NBC. Now, it’s a Peacock original series with the third season that premiered on September 3. Because Peacock is still young, only a handful of original series have already launched. They include the new adaptation of Brave New World, as well as animated shows Cleopatra in Space and Madagascar: A Little Wild. There’s also Lost Speedways, a documentary series hosted by Dale Earnhardt Jr. that explores abandoned racetracks.

Perhaps the most exciting series coming to Peacock is the Battlestar Galactica revival. However, it’s unclear if it will continue the story of the 2004 reboot or serve as another reset for the franchise. A Saved by the Bell sequel series is coming sooner than that, with many of the show’s original stars reprising their roles. Similarly, Soleil Moon Frye is reprising her role as Punky Brewster for a revival series that finds Punky as a struggling single mom who encounters an abandoned kid that reminds Punky of who she used to be.

Former SNL skit MacGruber is getting its own series in 2021, alongside a spinoff of the movie Clueless. A fantasy series based on Fonda Lee’s Jade City is also on the way, alongside a reboot of Queer as Folk.

Brave New World, one of the first Peacock original series
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What original movies are available on Peacock?

At the moment, there’s only one original movie on Peacock: Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, the sequel to the hit USA series which is also on Peacock. There are a few additional feature-length sports documentaries, including Dreams Live On: Countdown to Tokyo and In Deep with Ryan Lochte. But for now, original movies are not the primary focus of Peacock.

Does Peacock include 4K streaming?

It doesn’t have that feature now, but we think they might add it down the line.

What are the optimum internet speeds for Peacock?

Peacock suggests that speeds of at least 2.5 Mbps should be enough to enjoy your Peacock experience without suffering any delays. You might not know your internet speed off the cuff so that you can test it here.

How do you get Peacock?

You can start here to access the free version of Peacock. The free version doesn’t even require a credit card to get started, although you’ll naturally have to fork over your credit card info if you want to upgrade to Peacock Premium or Peacock Premium Plus. You can try it free for seven days before deciding if it’s worth the upgrade.

The Peacock app is accessible through gaming consoles such as the PS4 or Xbox One. You can also watch on your computer or via your smartphone and tablet. Gaming platforms feature Peacock in their respective stores, android devices in the Google Play Store, and iPhones and iPads feature it in the App Store.

You can also access the Peacock app via most smart TV devices, such as Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, LG TV, and Roku. You can find it in your channel store and download it to your device.

Editors' Recommendations

Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
What is DirecTV Stream: plans, pricing, channels, and more
DirecTV Stream app icon on Apple TV.

DirecTV Stream is the latest name for AT&T’s live tv and on-demand streaming service, previously called AT&T TV, among other names. If you're looking to cut the cable cord, DirecTV Stream might be one service to consider among other services such as Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and more. But what is DirecTV Stream? There are still some things you should know, especially if you are interested in getting an AT&T streaming subscription. Let’s go over all the important questions.

What is DirecTV Stream?
DirecTV Stream is the most recent incarnation of AT&T’s streaming service that has had more than a few name changes. It combined the names of more regional streaming services under the DirecTV banner into a single name. Like many streaming platforms, DirecTV Stream is available on a wide variety of devices and can connect to popular apps like Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and so on. A subscription also lets you support up to 20 devices at once, depending on the package that you choose.
What channel options does DirecTV Stream have?
AT&T TV’s channel lineup remains largely the same. That means you will be able to watch live TV with a subscription to DirecTV Stream. There are a lot of channels, including popular entertainment channels like FX HD, kid channels like Cartoon Network, Sports channels like ESPN HD, and hundreds more. DirecTV Stream has a full channel lineup guide so you can check which specific channels are included in each package and what certain channels can be added on for an additional fee. It’s an impressive lineup when compared to other options like Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV.

Read more
HBO Max expands its service to 15 more countries
HBO Max app icon on Apple TV.

If you've been waiting for HBO Max to come to your region, this may be your lucky week. On Tuesday, WarnerMedia announced it extended its premium streaming platform to 15 additional European countries. This latest move continues WarnerMedia's global HBO Max initiative and marks the second wave of their European rollout.

The 15 countries where HBO Max is now available include: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Read more
Best streaming services for Super Bowl 2022
An image from inside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The NFL playoffs are underway, and teams are battling it out to see who will represent the AFC and NFC in Super Bowl 2022 in Los Angeles. So, too, rages the battle for the best streaming service for Super Bowl 2022.

If you're a cord-cutter, you've got more options than you probably realize. Many streaming services are showing Super Bowl 56, so you won't need a cable subscription or an antenna (but if you're considering the latter, we've got you covered, too). And whether you're accessing them directly through your smart TV or a streaming device, a few of the standout services we recommend are FuboTV, Sling TV, and Hulu +Live TV, which are reasonably priced and all have access to NBC, the official broadcasters of the Super Bowl this year. We've got the goods on those and more below.

Read more