Peacock offers a traditional TV browsing layout that lets you access live streaming, on-demand shows, and trending clips that cover news, sports, and major events. Along with a competitive library, the platform is also teasing with early promises such as hosting the entire Harry Potter movie series in 2021.
Peacock is available on most streaming devices except Amazon's Fire TV Stick. It is also available on iOS, Android, Xbox, PlayStation and comes pre-installed on smart TVs such as VIZIO SmartCast.
Download: Peacock for iOS | Android | Roku (Free, subscription available)
You can browse and stream from many devices, but the best way to take advantage of the platform's cable-like interface is through your TV. When you access the service through a streaming device like Roku, you will be taken to the app's main landing page, which divides programming into the following categories:Channels, Trending, Browse, Movies, TV Shows, Kids , news, sports and Latin.
"Channels" seems to be the streaming service's most promising and competitive feature, as it lets you browse channels such as NBC News and Sports, in addition to providing you with that classic cable guide that seems like everyone's favorite. everyone loves so much. This is an attractive advantage, since most competitors only offer on-demand playback.
However, not all "Channels" options are true network channels. Instead, in this feature, Peacock has curated channels that focus on hit TV shows from all genres.
Some examples are KUWTK for Keeping Up with the Kardashians playbacks and SNL Vault, which streams hours of previously aired SNL episodes. These channels aren't broadcast live anywhere else, but the programming layout and schedule that comes with them will make you feel like you're watching cable TV.
Trending is another menu feature that sets Peacock apart from other streaming services. This section features a curated list of clips covering current trends, including major news, sports headlines, the best of late night TV and even the "A Day in History" section, making room for a a certain nostalgia for old-fashioned television.
Besides your main vertical options like "Movies" and "Kids", the "Latino" section is likely to appeal to Spanish-speaking users. Both Netflix and Hulu offer some Spanish programming, but it's a cool and friendly feature for Latin audiences to find Spanish content highlighted on the app's main landing page.
Peacock offers three subscription tiers:Free, Premium, and Premium Plus. Here's what everyone understands:
Free: The free tier covers ad-supported access to 13,000 hours out of 20,000 of on-demand content, plus access to a live TV stream.
The free tier also includes access to current primetime NBC episodes one week after their original air date. Users can also access samples from Peacock Originals and sporting events, such as the Olympics.
If our experience with Hulu is anything to go by, as Peacock grows in popularity, the amount of content available for free may decrease. Regardless of this potential future, now is a great time to explore all the app offerings at this level.
Peacock Premium: The premium feature is available for $4.99/month or $49.99/year.
Peacock Premium includes access to 20,000 hours of on-demand content with no more than five minutes of advertising per hour. This tier also contains next-day access to primetime NBC shows instead of waiting a week later in the free tier.
Premium tier users also get exclusive access to Late Night With Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Premium subscribers will also have access to a larger sports library and exclusive live sporting events such as the Tour de France, WWE and others.
Peacock Premium Plus: The Premium Plus plan will cost you $9.99/month or $99.99/year. Paying it annually will save you about $20 over the course of a year.
Premium Plus offers everything that is available in premium but without any advertising. However, it is important to consider that a small amount of undisclosed programs will still contain advertisements due to streaming regulations.
Peacock offers a free subscription to Comcast and Cox customers. This version of Peacock provides 7500 hours of streaming content with the option to purchase a premium subscription for $4.99/month, as well as access to a separate ad-free tier for an additional $4.99/month.
Peacock has launched strongly in terms of content on offer, but still lacks some developments such as 4K streaming, Dolby Atmos and mobile downloads allowing you to watch content offline and on the go. Hopefully NBCUniversal will add these features (which are common on other streaming services) in the future.
You can stream Peacock on up to three devices simultaneously and with one account you can access Peacock from as many devices as you want without restriction.
Parental controls are available on this app through a PIN code, allowing you to maintain multiple viewing profiles for you and your children.
While Peacock isn't dropping major streaming services like Netflix or Hulu anytime soon, the platform hit 10 million subscribers six months after its launch in April 2020. Which is an impressive start.
Whether Peacock's original programming or live channels will motivate subscribers to ditch their subscriptions to other platforms remains to be seen. However, while Peacock still has some work to do to compete with its established competitors, the platform will likely become an active contender in the streaming industry over time.
If you're a fan of NBC programming and want to keep up with mainstream TV shows, Peacock is another streaming service worth subscribing to. Especially with the free tier offering an easy way to test the service before submitting your credit card details.
