Thanks to Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, the streaming conflicts have heated up even further. It is where you can watch Saved by the Bell online or watch The Office online for free, with hundreds of new and classic episodes and movies in its library.
It competes for your viewing time with established streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, as well as recent entries like HBO Max and Disney+, but its offerings are worth checking out. We’ve broken down everything you need to know about it, including our thoughts on whether it’s worth it to pay for a subscription.
What is Peacock?
It is NBCUniversal’s streaming service, so you can watch popular NBC sitcoms like “The Office” as well as Universal feature pictures like “Jurassic World: Dominion” there. You must first log into the service before you can begin streaming TV and movies. Even if you’ve forgotten your account credentials, here’s how to do it on your computer or mobile device.
What is Peacock TV?
On April 15, 2020, Comcast’s Xfinity TV and broadband-only customers received the on-demand NBCUniversal streaming service for the first time. Then, on July 15, 2020, it went nationwide, offering clients both free and paid versions.
Peacock TV has three pricing and service tiers: Peacock Free, Peacock Premium, and Peacock Premium Plus—read on for more information on each, including the price of each version.
It is available in a free ad-supported edition. You’ll find anything from next-day access to current seasons of TV to movies and vintage series—though not Friends—among the 7,500 hours of programming. You may also watch daily news highlights, curated networks, Telemundo, and select episodes of Peacock originals for free.
What Is Peacock Premium?
Peacock Premium is the next tier up from the free edition of the streaming platform. It Premium gives you access to additional movies, episodes, and seasons of the service’s programming, as well as live sports.
According to it, that’s a total of 15,000 hours of live and on-demand entertainment. Premium is also necessary to watch current seasons of WWE Originals, as well as every WWE, WCW, and ECW pay-per-view event including, as of right now, WrestleMania. However, advertisements are still present.
What is Peacock Premium Plus?
Premium Plus is Peacock TV’s third and final tier, which unlocks everything Premium does but with less advertising. Peacock Premium Plus is the version to get if you want to watch (mostly) ad-free television.
What we mean by “largely ad-free” is as follows:
Premium Plus is Peacock’s ad-free version, but it does have to show “a tiny percentage of programming [that] will still contain advertisements” due to “streaming rights,” according to the company’s website.
How Does Peacock Work?
It stands apart from the crowd because it offers a free tier with limited access to the library. This isn’t a limited-time offer, either: you may subscribe to it when it launches for free.
The paid version of this service, Peacock Premium, costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year and gives you access to a greater library of episodes and movies, as well as original series and daily news, sports, and pop culture updates.
Although some Peacock channels, events, TV shows, and movies must have commercials due to streaming rights, an ad-free Peacock Premium subscription costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
Peacock Premium is free for Comcast Xfinity and Xfinity X1 customers who also receive an Xfinity Internet, Digital Starter, or comparable bundle.
On the NBCUniversal website, via the Peacock App on your iOS or Android device, or by downloading a digital channel on select streaming hardware, you can sign up for a Peacock Premium subscription. It is compatible with Apple TV, Vizio Smartcast TVs, LG Smart TVs, Chromecast, Android TV devices, Roku, and Fire TV.
What’s The Story Behind That Name?
Peacock is a play on the NBC logo and mascot.
Strauss explained that the name Peacock was chosen as a nod to NBC, but that the service is also licensing a lot of non-NBC programming.
“This service was not dubbed NBC Plus. It was given the name Peacock. That was on purpose in many ways “he said. “Honor NBCUniversal, but don’t limit yourself to NBCUniversal programming.”
Tina Fey, a writer, producer, and actor, claimed at the service’s launch in January that she wanted the title of 30 Rock to be The Peacock. “I was told it was a harsh no,” she added, adding that it would not pass censorship. “And now we’re here.”
What happens to Hulu’s NBC programming?
NBC episodes are still available on Hulu for the time being, but they will be removed soon.
At the start of 2021, it began streaming The Office.
For years, NBC was a partner in Hulu, but NBCUniversal owner Comcast agreed to hand over control to Disney. That agreement featured terms that essentially let NBC to stream its programming simultaneously on Hulu and Peacock.
NBCUniversal, on the other hand, officially ended its next-day TV streaming partnership with Hulu in March. That means NBC broadcasts won’t be accessible to stream on Hulu the day after they premiere in late September. Previous episodes will also be removed from Peacock’s library.
What Shows are on Peacock?
NBCUniversal, a media corporation that has been in the TV business since 1933, owns Peacock, a relatively new streaming service. You can watch TV shows including Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, The Office, Everybody Loves Raymond, Monk, Cheers, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Battlestar Galactica, Downton Abbey, Chicago Fire, Modern Family, and more if you sign up for Peacock’s free tier. Free subscribers will have access to more than 7,500 hours of video programming, according to NBCUniversal.
Peacock Premium users will have access to “much more content,” including Saturday Night Live, The King of Queens, Late Night With Seth Myers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, House, and Bite Club, according to the firm.
Premium users will also have access to episodes from current shows the day after they premiere, as well as additional seasons of certain TV shows.
Peacock Premium is also the only place where you can watch original TV shows like Brave New World (based on Aldous Huxley’s iconic novel) and Intelligence, a new comedy series written by Nick Mohammed and starring David Schwimmer. On this site, you can watch the first season of Saved by the Bell as well as other classic NBCUniversal sitcoms like Punky Brewster. Punky and Saved by the Bell, of course, have both resurfaced as new shows under the “Peacock Originals” brand. It Premium customers may access more than 15,000 hours of material, according to NBCUniversal.
What Movies Are on Peacock?
It’s main lure is TV shows, but customers may also watch a lot of movies. It will be home to upcoming blockbusters like Fast & Furious 9 and Jurassic World 3, as well as a back repertoire that includes Back to the Future, Jaws, Mamma Mia, E.T., Bridesmaids, Casino, Shrek, Shark Tale, and Brokeback Mountain, according to NBCUniversal.
What Sports Can You Find on Peacock?
NBCUniversal has secured exclusive streaming rights to Premier League football matches. The Premier League is a 20-club English soccer association, and Peacock Premium users will have access to over 175 games from the 2020-2021 season.
If you can’t watch your favorite team’s game live, you’ll be able to watch a full replay once it’s finished. Still, if you want to watch live sports, you should sign up for a service like fuboTV, which includes dozens of sports channels with even the most basic subscription (get a 7-day free trial to fuboTV here).
On March 18, NBCUniversal acquired the exclusive streaming rights to non-Pay Per View WWE bouts, which will be available on Peacock. It will allow you to watch the WWE Network online.
How Frequently Does Peacock Add New Content?
Because NBCUniversal owns the rights to shows like The Office, they’re less likely to vanish from this service or resurface on a competitor’s.
NBCUniversal has the flexibility to license their properties out at any time, but for the time being, they should be considered it exclusives.
Additional films and television shows could be added from NBCUniversal’s library or through licensing agreements with other studios. For example, earlier this month, the company secured an arrangement with ViacomCBS to license TV series and films like as Everybody Hates Chris, Real Husbands of Hollywood, American Beauty, Fatal Attraction, The Godfather, and An Officer and a Gentleman.
This demonstrates NBCUniversal’s commitment to acquiring licensing rights in order to improve it’s value. For instance, it recently made all 12 seasons of Modern Family online.
Keep in mind that movies and TV shows from businesses other than NBCUniversal are significantly more likely to come and go over time.
Is 4K Streaming Available at Peacock?
4K (ultra high definition), which is twice as good as 1080P, is the highest quality currently available on any streaming service (full HD). High-dynamic range (HDR) is a new video technique that improves the accuracy of colors and shadows. 4K video streaming and HDR video streaming are only available to Peacock Premium subscribers.
Keep in mind that to stream in 4K HDR, you’ll need a TV with those characteristics, a fast enough internet connection to stream video files that size, and the content you’re watching in that quality with HDR.
You’ll notice a significant difference if everything falls into place, but free Peacock subscribers may not be losing out on anything.
What is the cost of Peacock, and what is the deal with the free tier?
It offers three subscription options: a limited free version, an all-inclusive $5 per month with commercials, and an all-inclusive $10 per month without ads.
You can only watch so much on the free tier. Peacock, for example, only makes a few episodes of its original shows available for free, keeping the remainder behind a paywall. Only one episode of Yellowstone and the first two seasons of The Office are available to free customers. While many movies are available for free, some of the most well-known and recent releases are unavailable unless you upgrade.
This limited free tier gives you access to around two-thirds of Peacock’s entire movie, current season TV, TV classics, curated daily news, sports, Hispanic programming, and curated channels catalog.
Moreover, practically all live sports on this site are behind a paywall. That means you’ll have to pay to watch NFL Sunday Night Football, Premier League events, or live Olympics programming.
The paid tiers are essentially all-access passes to the service’s entire collection. It’s Premium is $5 per month or $50 per year with advertising, or you can pay $10 per month or $100 per year for ad-free reading (this Premium Plus tier is also the only one that lets you download to watch offline).
There should be no more than five minutes of ads every hour in the tiers with advertising.
Is there any way to get Peacock’s premium levels for free?
If you’re already a customer of one of the cable companies, you might be eligible for a discount on Peacock. Peacock offers Comcast X1 and Flex subscribers a $5 discount on the paid versions of the program. So consumers pay nothing for Peacock Premium if they want to watch with ads; if they want to watch without ads, they must pay $5 per month for Premium Plus.
Customers of Cox are also eligible for the $5 discount. Peacock has stated that it is working on partnerships to bring this deal to a wider audience.
A partnership with parent company Charter Communications will provide Spectrum video and broadband users an extended free trial to it. Customers who qualify for Spectrum TV get a year of free service, while those who qualify for Spectrum internet get 90 days.
It’s competition has a wide range of pricing.
Hulu is $6 per month with commercials and $12 per month without ads among the ad-supported services. CBS All Access costs $6 for the ad-supported tier and $10 for the ad-free version.
In example, Netflix’s cheapest tier includes no commercials and costs $10 per month, while its most popular package costs $15.50. Apple TV Plus costs $5 a month, Disney Plus costs $7, and HBO Max costs $15.
None of them contain advertisements (and none of these have live sports to speak of yet, either).
And none of these competitors, whether they have commercials or not, have a free tier like Peacock.
Is there a free trial at Peacock?
No, it discreetly stopped offering a free trial to new subscribers last year.
What exactly is going on with WWE on Peacock?
The WWE Network is presently exclusively available on the site.
It began broadcasting WWE content in 2021, — in time for Fastlane, the inaugural WWE “pay-per-view” event. (All so-called pay-per-view WWE events are available at no additional cost to Peacock premium users.)
To continue watching, legacy WWE Network app and service subscribers were required to sign up for Peacock. The benefit of this adjustment is that the WWE Network, including all “pay-per-view” events, will now be available for $5 on Peacock Premium, which is half the price of the previous WWE Network subscription. The $10-a-month tier of Peacock will have access to all of the same WWE programming; the only difference between a $5 and a $10 subscription is that the latter removes advertising; there is no difference in what you get to watch.
It has a dedicated WWE area where you can browse and watch all of the WWE shows.
All upcoming pay-per-view events (they’re branded “pay-per-view,” but watching them on Peacock is free), as well as current seasons of WWE Original programs, are available on Peacock’s paid tiers.
It will also offer a new WWE “channel” on the free tier, which will include select WWE Original programming, reality shows like Miz and Mrs., Total Bellas and Total Divas, and recent in-ring material. New weekly episodes of certain live shows, such as RAW Talk and The Bump, will be available both live and on demand.
What devices are compatible with Peacock?
Peacock may be found at Peacocktv.com and is compatible with the following Apple devices:
- iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV 4K, and Apple TV HD.
- Google products, such as Android phones and tablets, Android TV, Chromecast, and Chromecast built-in devices.
- Xbox One gaming consoles
- PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro gaming consoles from Sony.
- Vizio SmartCast televisions
- Smart TVs from LG.
- Roku players
- Fire TV via Amazon
Check the service’s support page to see which models are compatible with it.
What Services Does Peacock Provide?
- A single account can stream to up to three devices at the same time.
- Accounts will not be required to register devices with Peacock, and the number of devices a single account can stream will not be limited.
- At launch, it won’t support high-end formats like 4K resolution, high dynamic range, or Dolby Atmos sound, but they’ll be introduced later.
- It will not yet enable profiles, a feature that allows different members of a family to divide their viewing and recommendations. According to Peacock, that feature is also on the horizon.
- A PIN is used to manage parental controls.
- Mobile downloads are exclusively available to Premium Plus subscribers, and the app’s user interface will be in English only. Any language audio or subtitle tracks that come with a given title will be supported by it’s programming. It will include some content with Spanish language tracks and subtitles when it first launches.
Peacock’s Free tier.
- Next-day access to current seasons of NBC broadcast shows in their first season, known as freshman series, on Peacock’s free tier.
- Access to current seasons of returning NBC broadcast shows the following week (one week after episodes air).
- A selection of Peacock original episodes (but not full seasons).
- Curated genre channels, such as SNL Vault, Family Movie Night, and Olympic Profiles, according to NBC.
- Classic television shows and popular films.
- Daily news and sports programs, including Olympic coverage.
- Information in Spanish.
You effectively get an all-access pass with the Premium subscription. Everything from the free tier is included, plus:
- Complete seasons of it’s original programming.
- Access to current seasons of returning NBC broadcast shows the day after they air.
- Access to NBC’s late-night discussion shows before they air. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers will both stream early on Peacock at 8 p.m. ET, but this benefit will only be available after the shows return to in-studio production.
- Full access to it’s show and movie library, as well as additional sports such as Premier League soccer.
It also broadcasts live events such as the summer and winter Olympics. The free tier offered some programming during the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics, but full live coverage required a paid account.
Peacock pulls news programming from NBC News, Sky News, MSNBC, and CNBC, among others.
It’ll stream same-day broadcasts of NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and Meet the Press with Chuck Todd; live news channels will include NBC News Now, Sky News, and NBC/Sky Global News (a new channel); clips from Today, CNBC, MSNBC, E! News, NBC Nightly News, and Meet the Press; and it’ll expand into original Meet the Press content, investigative documentaries including full seasons of Dateline and Lock Up, and library documentaries from NB.
Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are among the NBC stars that have created original series for the network. It’s also counting on reboots of popular shows from its back library.
Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail has previously announced a resurrection of Battlestar Galactica (which is itself a reboot of the 1970s sci-fi series) and published reboots of Punky Brewster, Saved by the Bell, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. According to Deadline, NBCUniversal planned to adapt The Office, which was itself a remake of a British series.
However, not all of it’s original programming is produced by NBCUniversal. Some unique titles, such as Brave New World, were created only for Peacock.
How to Log into Peacock on a computer or mobile device, as well as what to do if you can’t.
On a PC, how do I log into Peacock?
- Open a web browser and go to peacocktv.com.
- Click Sign In in the top right corner of the page.
- Enter your credentials using the Sign In button. Johnson, Dave
- Sign in by entering your email address and password.
How to use Peacock on your phone or tablet
- On your Android or iOS device, open the Peacock app.
- Select Sign In.
- You can access your account using the iOS or Android mobile app. Johnson, Dave
- Sign in by entering your email address and password.
What should you do if you are unable to log into Peacock?
There are only a few possibilities if you’re experiencing problems entering into your Peacock account.
- You’ve entered the incorrect email address or password. Make sure you’re using the same email address you used to sign up for Peacock.
- You are a cable TV subscriber who has yet to link your account. You may need to link your Peacock account to your cable TV account if you have Xfinity, Cox, or Spectrum. Sign in to your account at PeacockTV.com/account. Click your cable provider in the Link Provider area and sign in with your cable TV provider’s credentials to link your account to your Peacock subscription.
You should like the account to obtain access to Peacock if you have a cable TV subscription.
- Your password has been forgotten. If you can’t remember your password, go to the Peacock sign-in page and select I don’t know my password from the drop-down menu. To reset your password, enter your email address and follow the steps.
- Your Peacock email address has been forgotten. If you’re unsure, enter the same email address Peacock uses to give you account updates and information about new TV series and movies. You can also look for the Peacock welcome email in your inbox, deleted mail, and spam folders.
Questions Frequently Asked
Is Peacock TV available for free?
It offers three subscription options: a limited free version, an all-inclusive $5 per month with commercials, and an all-inclusive $10 per month without ads.
You can only watch so much on the free tier. Peacock, for example, only makes a few episodes of its original series available for free, keeping the remainder behind a paywall.
Where can I get Peacock TV?
PeacockTV.com is where you may join up for any of the Peacock TV tiers. Peacock TV is also available via the app, which is available for iOS and Android. The streaming app may be installed on a variety of devices, including TVs. (See below for more information.)
How can I get Peacock TV to work on my television?
LG smart TVs, Samsung TVs, and Vizio TVs all include the Peacock streaming app. To receive Peacock TV on any of these smart TVs, go to the App Store on your TV and search for and download the app.
Peacock TV may also be accessed via Android TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Flex, PlayStation 4, Roku, Xbox One, and Xfinity devices.
Peacock TV: How to Watch
Peacock TV is available on a variety of platforms, including most smart TVs, including LG, Samsung, and Vizio, as well as mobile and tablet devices running iOS or Android, and streaming through Android TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Flex, Roku, and Xfinity devices.
Peacock TV is also available to stream on a computer (Chrome OS, macOS, or Windows PC) or a game console (Playstation 4 and Xbox One). Visit PeacockTV.com/devices for a complete list of supported devices.
How do I install Peacock TV on my smart TV?
Navigate to your Apps from the home screen to access or sign up for Peacock TV on a smart TV. Press the “search” icon in Apps and type in Peacock. After that, you should be able to download the app. After downloading, launch the app and sign in or register. You can immediately begin watching on your smart TV after you’ve logged in!
Is Peacock TV available on Roku?
Peacock TV is currently available on Roku for streaming. Start by pressing the “Home” button on your Roku remote to download Peacock TV to your device. Enter “Peacock” into the search box. Make sure to pick it once it shows on your screen, then choose “Add channel.” The program will then be installed in a matter of seconds.
When it’s finished, return to the home screen to open the app, log in with your details, and begin watching.
How do I download Peacock TV to my Firestick?
Peacock TV was previously unavailable on the Amazon Firestick, however it has recently been available. To receive Peacock TV on your Firestick, follow these steps: In the Firestick Home Screen, go to ‘find’ and then’search.’ Look for ‘Peacock TV’ and click on it. ‘Get’ or ‘download’ are the options. You may then open the app and start streaming on your smartphone after it has been downloaded.
In conclusion
The jury is yet out on whether Peacock’s exclusive series will succeed, but the appeal of its free tier is hard to ignore.
You can view some of the most highly acclaimed TV shows and movies of the last century, but you must watch advertising and the video quality is limited to HD.
Peacock Premium requires a slightly larger leap of faith, but it’s less expensive than HBO Max, Hulu, or Netflix if you take advantage of NBCUniversal’s launch pricing (again, $49.99 annually for Peacock Premium, $79.99 annually for ad-free Peacock Premium). NBCUniversal’s Peacock Premium is worth subscribing to if you’ve been grieving Netflix’s loss of The Office and want to find it elsewhere, or if you want to watch Saved by the Bell and other childhood favourites online.
It’s original programming is also worth watching, and the streamer has promised fresh content and announcements in the months ahead, so it’s a good bet to add to your watch list — and subscription list.
