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Kathryn CasnaSenior Staff Writer
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Is Peacock TV worth the cost?
At $4.99–$9.99 (and even a totally free version), Peacock is one of the cheapest streaming services we tested, but it also offers a lot less than most. As a live TV streaming service, it really adds only sports and news. And you don’t get NBC’s actual live TV stations (NBC, CNBC, and MSNBC). Its on-demand content improves its value by giving you access to NBC’s shows the day after they air live. There are also some great movies and shows for the young people in your life, and making a kids-only profile is super easy.
That said, we’re not sure the $9.99 version adds enough value to justify paying twice the price. You get all the same content—plus the ability to download on-demand content (not live content) to watch offline. You also have to sit through fewer commercials, but the ones in the $4.99 version were already unobtrusive, so we’d probably skip the upgrade.
If you love NBC’s lineup (past or present), its sports, or Dreamworks movies, Peacock is an inexpensive way to access some fantastic content. But if you’re looking for a service that covers more of the live TV channels you’re used to from a cable provider—or even NBC’s own cable channels—Peacock TV falls short. The good news is it has a free version that shows you all the content you’d get if you paid, so you can check it out and see for yourself if it’s worth it.
Before digging too deep...
Make sure Peacock TV is available in your area.
How to cancel or reactivate
To cancel your plan, log in and find your account info. There’s no actual cancel option, but you can switch to the free version. You’ll have access to the paid version until the end of your billing cycle, then it’ll automatically switch to the free version. That means you can cancel up to a month before you want to watch your last paid Peacock show so you don’t forget and get another bill. Reactivating your plan is just as easy, and if you come back before your initial billing period was up, you’ll still get the $1.99 per month intro price for Peacock Premium.
Add-ons and tiered plans
- Peacock Premium: $4.99/mo.
- Peacock Plus: $9.99/mo.
- Peacock (pared-back version): Free
Compatible devices
We had no issues using Peacock on Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, and the interface looked about the same across them all. One of us had issues using a Magic Mouse (when we tried to select a show, it kept scrolling right instead), but we couldn’t repeat the problem with other Magic Mouses, so this could be the quirk of one very special mouse. We also tested the app on Android phones and iPhones and a few TVs and had no issues. Other devices you can use include Android and Mac OS tablets, a variety of smart TVs, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Free trial
Peacock doesn’t offer a free trial exactly. Instead, you can get a pared-back free version of the service with a lot less content—no expiration date and no need for a credit card. Unfortunately, the free version has so much less content, it mostly just teased us about all the things we couldn’t watch. When we did sign up, we scored our first 12 months of Peacock TV for $1.99 per month. Not too shabby!
Costs to consider:
- Monthly fees: $0–$9.99
- Add-ons: N/A
- Price for 4K: N/A
- DVR: N/A
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