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What is Peacock? Pricing, content, and how to get it, explained

Peacock on Mac.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

When diving into the world of streaming services, choosing the perfect platform for your entertainment needs can be an exciting adventure. Among the sea of options, Peacock shines brightly as one of today’s premier choices. This innovative streaming service, produced by NBCUniversal, is not just another contender in the competitive landscape; it’s a veritable treasure trove of cinematic and television delights, boasting an impressive collection of thousands of hours filled with timeless classics and captivating new original programs.

Having made its grand debut in 2020, Peacock has been on a mission to challenge the streaming titans like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Paramount Plus. Its colorful interface and user-friendly navigation make exploring its vast library feel like embarking on a delightful quest for your next binge-worthy show or movie.

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With its remarkable journey since launch, Peacock has garnered an impressive following, attracting 36 million subscribers by 2025. The allure is undeniable, thanks to its competitive pricing, which caters to various budgets, and an astonishing library exceeding 80,000 hours of diverse content. From gripping dramas and laugh-out-loud comedies to live sports events that keep you on the edge of your seat, Peacock offers something for everyone.

What makes Peacock even more appealing is the flexibility it provides—should you ever wish to take a break, canceling your subscription is as seamless as signing up. This convenience fosters a relaxed viewing experience, allowing you to explore all that Peacock has to offer without feeling tied down. Before making the leap into the world of Peacock, let us guide you through the essential points to consider, ensuring you find the streaming service that perfectly aligns with your entertainment cravings.

How much is Peacock?

Current options for a Peacock subscription.
Jen Karner / Digital Trends

Peacock Premium is now the lowest tier, as the free option is no longer available. Even with Peacock Premium, you still have to watch ads. Still, for a nominal fee of $8 per month, you can access a vast library of content, including movies, TV shows, live sports (including Premier League soccer), Telemundo Spanish-language series, and more.

If you want to enjoy the same content without ads, you can opt for the second tier, Peacock Premium Plus, which costs $14 monthly. The difference between the two tiers is that with Peacock Premium Plus, ads are mostly eliminated, except for some events (such as sports) that may have ads due to preexisting agreements.

Peacock Premium and Peacock Premium Plus are discounted if you pay yearly and are currently $80 and $140, respectively. There are also student offers.

Over the years, some cellular companies have offered special tie-ins with Peacock that tend to lower the per-year price. These change often, so check with your provider before subscribing to Peacock.

What do you need to watch Peacock?

Peacock can be accessed through various platforms. A web browser is a good starting point. Peacock is compatible with popular Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari browsers. It can also be accessed on Android and Apple iPhones and iPads. PlayStation and Xbox users can find Peacock on their consoles. Peacock works with select smart TVs, including Samsung, Vizio, LG, and Hisense.

Peacock is also available on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon, Google TV, and Chromecast. It can be accessed through select cable box sets from Cox, Spectrum, and Xfinity. Moreover, it’s available through Meta VR for the Meta Quest and Meta Quest Pro.

Which movies are included on Peacock?

screenshot showing film section on Peacock.
Peacock

One advantage of having the Universal Film Library at its disposal is that Peacock has a great movie selection and some classic titles right out of the gate. There’s also a selection of films from other studios. However, the titles of films available are always changing.

Among the most popular films on Peacock are Trolls Band Together, Dunkirk, The Dark Knight, Split, and this year’s Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Oppenheimer.

Which TV shows are on Peacock?

screenshot showing TV show section on Peacock.
Peacock

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

Current NBC series are also among the Peacock lineup, including Quantum Leap, Law and Order, Law and Order: Law and Order: SVU, Law & Order Organized Crime, Night Court, and the three Chicago-based shows Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago P.D. Paramount Network’s hit series Yellowstone also has a home on Peacock.

If you love late-night comedy, Peacock is also where you can 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?

The Peacock streaming service is expanding its collection of original shows across genres such as comedy, drama, reality, and documentary. Some popular titles generating buzz are Apples Never Fall, Ted, The Traitors, Love Island USA, Vanderpump Rules, Poker Face, Dr. Death, The McBee Dynasty, Deal or No Deal Island, and many others.

What original films are available on Peacock?

The Peacock original movies library has expanded slightly with titles such as Megamind, Dr. Death, Joe vs. Carole, and Angelyne. It also includes full-length feature documentaries like Stormy, Pathological, John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams, and more.

What about sports?

Screenshot showing sports section on Peacock.It’s no surprise that Peacock programming strongly focuses on sports due to its partnership with NBC Sports and Telemundo Deportes. The platform provides a variety of live and streaming content throughout the year, including the Olympics, National Football League, soccer, college football and basketball, golf, cycling, boxing, and more. Some of this programming is exclusive to Peacock, which also features WWE content.

Beginning in the 2025-2026 season, Peacock will be the new home for a package of exclusive NBA games as part of an 11-year deal. Comcast executives are optimistic that the arrival of the NBA will be a “launch pad” for further growth of Peacock.

What are Peacock channels?

Peacock Channels is a unique feature of the Peacock streaming service. These channels offer live and on-demand content across three main categories: news, sports, and entertainment. To date, there are over 50 channels to choose from.

Does Peacock include 4K streaming?

Peacock provides a limited selection of 4K content to its Premium and Premium Plus subscribers. However, the 4K library is relatively small and can only be streamed on specific platforms. You can identify the available 4K content by looking for the 4K UHD badge in the Information section of the content.

What are Peacock’s optimum internet speeds?

According to Peacock, a minimum internet speed of 3 Mbps is sufficient to enjoy Peacock’s services without any interruptions. However, to enjoy high-quality live events and ultra-high definition premium content, it is recommended that your Wi-Fi or 4G/5G/LTE speed should be at least 8 Mbps.

You might not know your internet speed off the cuff, so you can test it here.

How do you get Peacock?

screenshot showing Oppenheimer on Peacock.
Peacock

To access Peacock, you can start by visiting its website. However, to subscribe to Peacock Premium or Peacock Premium Plus, you must provide your credit card details. Unfortunately, no free trial is available, but you can cancel your subscription anytime.

See the above “What do you need to watch Peacock?” section for all the platforms and devices on which the service is available. You can find the Peacock app in your respective channel store and download it to your device.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
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