Peacock TV: how to watch for free, devices, shows, cost, movies and more

All you need to know about Peacock TV, NBCUniversal’s streamer.

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Peacock TV is the streaming service launched by NBCUniversal, which sends a plethora of TV shows, movies and sport straight to your screen. Now available in the USA, UK and Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, Peacock is spreading its, erm, tail across the world and is shaping up to be a pretty good contender (note: not all content is available worldwide).

Much like the likes ofNetflix,HuluandAmazon Prime Video, Peacock offers video on demand, but with a focus on content from the NBC network. Unlike those services, Peacock can be streamed for free in the US, with an ad-supported subscription tier, or you can pay via its top tier for an ads-free experience. Elsewhere, you’ll need to access Peacock slightly differently, which we’ll explain later.

Peacock has a brilliant back catalogue of entertainment with big-name shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation, new Peacock Originals, and even live sports (including a new deal with WWE). There are movies like The 40 Year-Old Virgin and The Godfather Trilogy, and Peacock also has live channels covering a range of genres.

What is it?NBC’s streaming service, which features many of its classic sitcoms as well as movies, TV dramas and original content.When did it release?July 15, 2020.How much does it cost?Free (ad-supported), $4.99 (ad-supported) or $9.99, with additional programming on the paid tiers.Where has it launched?USA, UK and Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy.

There are three Peacock TV price tiers (free, $4.99 and $9.99 per month) that we’ll explain in more detail below. We’ll explain which kinds of shows and movies you can expect across the different tiers, so you can decide which makes sense to you.

Does NBC’s catalogue of shows stand up to streaming behemoths like Netflix, Hulu andDisney Plus? That’s a big question mark. Here’s everything we know about Peacock TV, including its cost, supported devices, exclusive shows and more.

Peacock TV: Cost

Peacock TV: how to watch for free

In the US? All you have to do to watchPeacock TV for free is head here, and create an account by entering an email and password. You don’t need to do anything else to access the free tier, but the service is only available in the US.

In the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland or Austria? You can’t access the subscription model at all, including the free tier, but you do get Peacock included as part of your Sky TV package (or included with a NOW TV subscription in the UK).You can also check out our list of availablePeacock TV promo codesto see this month’s best discounts.

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Peacock TV cost: free and paid tiers explained

Peacock has three pricing tiers for the USA and selected US territories – one free tier and two premium tiers. The latter include one with ads and one without. Check out the full breakdown of the differences in content between each tier further down this page, but here are the differences between each tier, and the monthly cost for each, and what they get you:

Peacock Free

Peacock Premium

Peacock Premium Plus

Peacock TV free trial: is there one?

Yes, there’s a 7-day Peacock TV free trial for the Premium and Premium Plus tiers. You can choose from theplan picker page here.

How to watch Peacock

Peacock TV apps and devices

These are the supported devices to watch Peacock on:

Web browsers:

Mobile and Tablet Devices:

Devices:

Find afull list of supported devices here.

How to watch Peacock via Sky TV (UK, Ireland and selected Europe)

If you’re in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Austria or Switzerland, you can watch Peacock via Sky TV platforms. It is included as part of a Sky Glass, Sky Q, Sky+ and NOW package (depending on availability of each in your territory). Simply say “Peacock” into your remote or find it in the apps rail.

You won’t get access to the full Peacock library or channels, but there is some good content available, including complete collections of shows like Suits, The Office, House and Downton Abbey. There’s also reality TV aplenty, including The Real Housewives, Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Below Deck, plus films including About Time and Brüno. However, the selection appears to be reducing so it isn’t clear what the future holds for the service outside of the USA.

Peacock TV shows, movies, sports and channels

Peacock TV shows, movies and sports content (USA)

The shows and movies you get on Peacock TV in the US depend on whether you’re with the free or premium tiers. Movies on Peacock aren’t as brilliant as the TV content, but there are some worthy titles.Movies on the free tieraren’t wide-ranging, butinclude We Need to Talk About Kevin, Fever Pitch and Highlander. A big win for Peacock is the inclusion of all the Harry Potter films.

But thepremium tierunlocks a host of better content, like 50 First Dates, The 40 Year-Old Virgin, 13 Going On 30, three of the Fast & Furious line-up and How To Train Your Dragon 2.

TV shows are arguably a bigger deal for Peacock, though, with The Office as a standout pick.

Free tier shows

These are some of the shows that have free episodes or full series:

The Office, Parks and Recreation, Weeds, Everybody Hates Chris, Eureka, The Fall, Battlestar Galactica (the modern version), Parenthood, Suits, New Amsterdam, Psych, House, Monk, Bates Hotel, Downton Abbey, Friday Night Lights, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Frasier, Cheers

Premium tier shows

If you’re willing to spend $4.99 or more, the TV offering ramps up a little, with full series of all of the above and more. Here’s a sample what you can get on Peacock TV’s Premium/Premium Plus tiers:

Superstore, Bumper in Berlin, Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, Bel-Air, The Thing About Pam, Charmed, Saturday Night Live and more.

If you want to watch NBC shows the day after they air, too, you’ll want the Premium Plus Tier.

Live TV eventsThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers (on at an earlier time), NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, Premier League matches, Sunday Night Football, Golf and WWE.

Peacock TV originals

In a crowded streaming market, platforms need to raise their original content game to compete. Peacock’s line-up is pretty strong. The following originals are exclusive to the Premium tier, but you can watch a few free episodes to get you started.

Peacock TV: sports content explained

Sports are a clear focus of the Peacock strategy.

There’s a huge range of sports on offer, both live and on-demand, with Premier League, Sunday Night Football, Golf, SuperMotocross, WWE, Rugby, Horse Racing, Figure Skating and Track & Field all available to watch.

These are part of the Premium packages, but bear in mind you will encounter some ads due to licensing restrictions. You’ll also be able to enjoy full coverage of key events, for example the Olympics were part of the package in 2021.

Peacock channels explained

As well as a library of on-demand content, Peacock has over 50 always-on channels included with its Premium and Premium Plus tiers. These include Hallmark channels, News, Sports and Crime & Mystery – and a new addition is your local NBC channel, included with Premium Plus. Much like Hulu it’s like having TV integrated into the service.

Is Peacock a genuine alternative to Netflix and the rest?

Peacock’s free tier gives it a massive advantage in grabbing attention, given how overcrowded the streaming market has gotten in the past few years. However, th free plan has become a lot more limited since Peacock launched it, with many shows and movies migrating to behind the paywall.

Peacock TV functions as a service that’s somewhere between Hulu and Disney Plus - a decent library of shows, but without the onslaught of originals and wide range of quality movies seen on Netflix.

Want to do some more research? Here’s everything we know aboutHBO Max.

Nick Pino is Managing Editor, TV and AV for TechRadar’s sister site, Tom’s Guide. Previously, he was the Senior Editor of Home Entertainment at TechRadar, covering TVs, headphones, speakers, video games, VR and streaming devices. He’s also written for GamesRadar+, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade, and he has a degree in computer science he’s not using if anyone wants it.

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