The streaming wars adds a new contender today as NBCUniversal enters the ring with Peacock, a video streaming service that wants to take on the likes of Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, and Apple TV+.
Peacock is available today in the iOS and tvOS App Store. Peacock includes titles like Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Parks and Recreation, Downton Abbey, and will be the home of The Office when it leaves Netflix at the end of 2020. Peacock is offered in three tiers, including a free ad-supported plan.
Peacock draws on an extensive library of TV shows and movies from its NBC Television, NBC News, and Universal parent companies.
Users can sign up for free and watch 13,000 hours of content for free. Peacock features commercials on its free and $4.99 tier.
The $4.99 tier, called Peacock Premium, includes access to new original content and earlier access to programming such as the ability to watch shows like America’s Got Talent, Saturday Night Live, Law & Order, and Chicago Fire the day after they air on TV. For $4.99/month though, users will still be subjected to ads (although they appear less frequently than users on the free plan).
Peacock’s most expensive offering costs $9.99 per month, somewhat awkwardly named Peacock Premium Plus. The content offering is the same as Peacock Premium, without any ads.
Subscribers to Comcast Xfinity or Flex TV packages are eligible to watch Peacock Premium at no additional charge.
Just like HBO Max, Peacock has not agreed on terms with Amazon Fire TV or Roku. The Apple TV is quickly becoming the most compatible streaming box with support for HBO Max and Peacock from day one, and 4K YouTube support arriving with tvOS 14.
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