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Peacock review 2024: Everything to know before subscribing
Peacock is NBCUniversal’s over-the-top (OTT) streaming service. With ad-supported and ad-free plans, the platform includes more than 80,000 hours of popular on-demand content, an enticing selection of sports and even some live TV channels.
Is the Peacock price worth it, though? That depends on how much you love NBC and Universal shows and movies — and whether the service has the live sports you’re looking for. There’s a lot to like here, whether you want to binge some of today’s best shows or catch exclusive movies right when they leave the theater. To find out whether this service fits your streaming needs, dig into our Peacock review below.
Peacock at a glance
|
Monthly cost |
$5.99–$11.99 |
|
Simultaneous streams |
3 |
|
DVR |
No, but some programs can be saved to watch later |
|
On-demand library |
Yes, 80,000 hours |
|
Live TV streaming |
Yes, live events and 50+ channels |
Peacock experience
Peacock’s user experience is similar to other streaming platforms. It’s easy to select a plan and sign up, and once you’re in, the interface will be familiar if you’ve subscribed to other over-the-top (OTT) streaming services.
The home screen displays a slider of featured programs at the top, followed by a scrollable list of “Peacock Picks,” newly added content, recommendations and various genres. Across the top, you’ll find quick links to moves, TV shows, live sports, WWE events and your saved list of programs. There’s also a tab to view a guide featuring NBCUniveral’s 50-plus live channels, which you can watch anytime with a subscription.
When you click on a title, you’ll be taken to a page for that particular show, movie or live event. A preview will automatically begin playing in the background at the top of the page, and you can either start watching or scroll down to see a trailer and other similar content.
Peacock content
You may be wondering, “Is Peacock worth it?” The answer to that question will depend on how much you love programs and films from NBCUniversal. As the OTT streamer for all things NBC, Peacock is the go-to for fans of classic shows like “The Office,” current shows like “Killing It,” and loads of classic and current Universal films, from “Minions” to “Renfield.”
Many current NBCUniversal films stream exclusively on Peacock for some time after they end their theatrical runs. At the time of this Peacock review, for example, “Asteroid City” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” were among several titles streaming only on Peacock. You’ll also find other exclusives here, such as “The Office: Superfan Episodes” and many Peacock originals like “Twisted Metal” and “Hart to Heart.”
The platform isn’t only a hub for on-demand content, either. There’s quite a bit of live content, particularly when it comes to live sports. Premier League soccer headlines Peacock’s lineup of live events, and you can watch many of the world-famous English league’s matches here. Peacock is also home to many WWE fights, and you’ll find select NFL and MLB games, golf events, track and field, swimming and more. Thanks to NBC’s ownership of Telemundo, Spanish-speaking viewers will find a lot of great content here, too, including Spanish-language broadcasts of major events like the World Cup. Plus, if you miss any of these events live, you can often watch them after the fact for a limited time.
Finally, there are also NBCUniversal’s live channels, which are included in all Peacock subscriptions. There’s a lot showing around the clock here, from channels like Dateline 24/7 and NBC Morning News Now to non-stop broadcasts of shows like “The Office” and “Law & Order.” If you opt for the Premium Plus subscription, you’ll also get access to your local NBC broadcast.
Peacock DVR
Since Peacock is, first and foremost, an on-demand streaming service, it doesn’t include any cloud DVR storage. However, you’ll find many recordings of live sports available for a short time after the event, plus clips of many different live news programs. If you add an event to “My Stuff” ahead of time, it will show up on your watchlist after it airs.
Peacock viewing experience and video quality
Peacock content streams in high definition 1080p and many of its programs are offered in 4K Ultra HD. Access to 4K streaming depends on your internet bandwidth and device capabilities, and Peacock will automatically adjust your resolution accordingly. Live broadcasts and on-demand content generally load quickly on various devices, though it does occasionally take a few seconds for the picture to come in clearly. Again, this will ultimately depend on your streaming device and available bandwidth.
If you subscribe to the basic Premium plan, all content will show with ads. For on-demand content, this varies depending on whether you’re watching a show or a movie. Shows include ads at the beginning and at a few points throughout the episode, while Peacock movies include about two or three minutes of ads at the beginning before the full film shows without any ad breaks. That’s a nice plus that not every ad-supported streaming service offers.
If you want to avoid ads, you can upgrade to the Premium Plus plan. Note, however, that all live broadcasts and some on-demand content will still include ads at this level.
Peacock user profiles
In terms of user-profiles and parental controls, our Peacock TV review was particularly strong. The service allows you to create up to six unique user profiles to customize the viewing experience for everyone in your household.
Peacock offers quite a bit more parental customization than many other streaming services, and this makes it a standout option for families. You can choose from five different maturity levels for each profile, and even the adult profiles can be tailored for “Family,” “Teen,” or “Adult,” with different rating restrictions for each. Parents can also use a PIN to block access to certain profiles and restrict who can adjust profile settings.
Peacock for sports fans
Serious sports fans won’t find everything to keep up with their favorite teams here, but Peacock offers quite a bit of sports content. Fans of the Premier League, WWE and the Olympics will be particularly happy with how many games and live events they can follow. Peacock supplements this with big-ticket events like Sunday Night Football, Sunday MLB games and a variety of other events from sports like golf, rugby, SuperMotocross, racing, cycling and more. Even if you can’t find every event you want here, Peacock is worth it for its sheer range of sports coverage.
How does Peacock compare?
Peacock holds its own against its top competitors. By offering some of the most popular entertainment and live sports that you can’t find anywhere else, NBC’s OTT service has made itself a must-have for a large segment of viewers.
|
Streaming service |
Monthly cost |
Free trial |
DVR |
Simultaneous streams |
|
Peacock |
$5.99 |
No |
No |
3 |
|
Paramount Plus |
$5.99 |
Yes |
No |
3 |
|
Max |
$9.99 |
No |
No |
2–4 |
|
Hulu |
$7.99 |
Yes |
Only with Live TV |
2 |
|
Netflix |
$6.99 |
No |
No |
2–4 |
At Peacock’s price point, its top competitor is Paramount Plus. The two services are quite similar, each offering a slew of on-demand content from their parent company (Paramount Plus is owned by Paramount Global) and a mix of live sports and TV channels. Both offer ad-free and ad-supported options with a lot of exclusive content that you can’t find on other platforms, and their prices are fair for what you get. Paramount Plus has a slight edge in the fact that its ad-free tier also includes premium access to SHOWTIME. Ultimately, though, whether Paramount Plus or Peacock is worth it for you will come down to which content you like best.
Compared to other on-demand streaming platforms, Peacock has more mixed results. It’s more affordable than services like Max, Hulu and even Netflix’s new ad-supported tier, so that’s a huge plus. None of those services include live channels and sports, either, so Peacock has a clear edge there. However, you’ll find a broader range of on-demand shows on these other platforms. If you’d rather not be restricted to one production company, you might favor one of them over a Peacock subscription.
How to subscribe to Peacock
Peacock’s sign-up process is relatively straightforward and only takes a few minutes. Simply visit the sign-up page and take the following steps:
- Select your plan.
- Enter your account information and select “Create Account.”
- Provide your credit card information.
- Finish your account setup and start watching.
Once you have an account, your card will be charged each month on your renewal date. You can cancel anytime, and you’ll still have access until the end of the billing period.
How to cancel a Peacock subscription
Canceling your Peacock service is easy. Open your account in a web browser and select the settings gear icon in the top right corner. Under “Plans & Payment,” select “Cancel” and follow the prompts to complete the process. Note that if you subscribed to Peacock through a third party like iTunes, you’ll need to cancel your subscription through that provider.
Final thoughts
As many Peacock reviews point out, this OTT streaming service is a strong player among the many on-demand platforms available today. With live sports and many exclusive films and shows, it’s a must-have for many viewers. Especially for fans of NBCUniversal content and Premier League soccer, Peacock is a great option at an affordable price.
FAQ
What happened to Peacock’s free trial?
Like many other streaming services, Peacock no longer offers a free trial. The company also dropped its free tier for any new subscribers, which allowed viewers to stream some content without a paid subscription.
Is Peacock worth the money?
Peacock is worth it if you want access to much of NBCUniversal’s programming. Not only can you find a lot of classic Universal films and NBC shows here, but you’ll also get exclusive access to many new movies and live sports like Premier League soccer.
Can I watch sports on Peacock?
Peacock offers a diverse lineup of live sports, along with some sports shows and documentaries. You can stream Premier League soccer, NFL Sunday Night Football, Sunday MLB games, the Olympics, WWE wrestling and more.
