Peacock TV offers two different subscriptions plans, with each one catering to a different type of viewer. Understanding the difference between the Premium and Premium Plus tiers can help to ensure you are getting the best value from the Peacock experience.
Unlike other streaming services, the differences between the two Peacock tiers are a lot more nuanced than simply the number of streams or the resolution quality. Below is a summary of the two paid Premium plans.
| Peacock | Premium | Premium Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price p/m | $7.99 | $13.99 |
| Ad-free | ✔ | |
| Content (hours) | 80,000+ | 80,000+ |
| Local NBC | ✔ | |
| NBC shows | ✔ | ✔ |
| Originals | ✔ | ✔ |
| Sports | ✔ | ✔ |
| Downloads | ✔ | |
Peacock Premium, explained
Peacock Premium costs $7.99 per month, or $79.99 when paid annually. Although NBCUniversal classifies this tier as ‘premium’, it is better to think of it as a basic plan.
A Premium subscription does provide unlimited access to the on-demand library, including all of the movies, episodes, and originals. All in all, subscribers get access to more than 80,000 hours of on-demand content.
In addition, Peacock Premium subscribers also get access to a selection of live, linear channels as well. As part of the live experience, subscribers are also able to watch various sports events throughout the year, and at no additional cost.
Premium benefits:
- Next-day NBC shows
- Peacock Originals
- Live sports
The major downside with the Premium subscription is that it includes ads.
Even though subscribers are paying for a subscription, it is additionally supported through the use of commercials. In this sense, it is very similar to the way a basic Hulu subscription works, with subscribers paying a monthly fee and still encountering advertisements during playback.
Also similar to the basic Hulu subscription, Peacock offers an even more premium plan.
Peacock Premium Plus, explained
Premium Plus costs $13.99 per month, or $139.99 if paid annually. As the name suggests, Premium Plus offers everything the standard Premium subscription does, and more.
The main difference with Premium Plus is that it is an ad-free subscription, resulting in the removal of ads from the majority of on demand videos. Even though Premium Plus removes the ads, there are situations where ads still might be shown.
Due to streaming rights, a small amount of programming, Peacock channels, live events, and a few TV shows and movies, will still contain ads.
Source: Peacock
Another important difference with Premium Plus is that it also unlocks access to a subscriber’s local NBC station. While the standard Premium plan includes a variety of live channels, local NBC is specifically reserved for Premium Plus subscribers.
Premium Plus benefits:
- Ad-free
- Local NBC
- Downloads
Choosing Between The Two Premium plans
Even though there are two Peacock tiers, the decision of which one is right for any individual subscriber is relatively straightforward.
If you are happy to sit through commercial breaks in a bid to lower the cost, the standard Premium subscription works fine and saves you money. However, if you would prefer an ad-free subscription, and have access to your local NBC station, then the Premium Plus subscription is going to be the right choice.
Regardless of which premium version you do go with, there is no commitment or obligation beyond the current month. As this is a no-contract streaming service, consumers retain the ability to upgrade or downgrade their plan at any time.
$8-14/mo
- Live Channels
- Live Sports
- NBC & Bravo Shows
Does Peacock offer a free plan?
No, Peacock doesn’t offer a free plan anymore. While Peacock did previously offer a free tier, it was a more limited service than what’s on offer with either of the paid Premium plans.
One of the biggest limitations was the availability of content. In total, Peacock offered free users access to more than 13,000 hours of programming, including current NBC shows one week after they aired. All of which made the free tier more suitable as a way to see what the service offered before paying for a subscription.
