Peacock Review
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” and “The Office,” as well as original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports including NFL, MLB, WWE, Olympics, Premier League, NASCAR, French Open, College Football and Basketball, and PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.
Peacock includes news, entertainment, sports, late-night, and reality from various NBCU properties including NBC, Bravo, and E!.
Peacock also includes the entire library of Bravo shows and has exclusives like “Below Deck: Down Under.” They also include live and on-demand access to Hallmark channels.
The company has acquired the rights to many classic shows like “Parks and Recreation,” and the entire Dick Wolf library including “Law & Order” and “Chicago Fire.”
The service also features blockbusters and critically-acclaimed films from Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination and content acquired from Hollywood’s biggest studios.
Tiers
The service has two tiers: Peacock Premium which starts at $5.99 a month with ads and $11.99 a month without ads. If you are a Xfinity X1 or Xfinity Flex customer — you will get a $5 discount on either plan — meaning you can get Peacock Premium at no extra charge.
Peacock Free is now only available to former paying customers. It includes 7,500 hours of programming including next day access of first-year NBCU shows, select movies, and complete classic series. Peacock Premium includes 15,000 hours of programming including next day access to current season of all NBCU series, early access to late-night shows, Peacock Originals, and live sports like Premier League, Ryder Cup, and The Olympics.
Review
We tested Peacock and other subscription streaming services for more than 100 hours. Peacock is compatible with Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, iPhone/iPad, Android Phone/Tablet, Mac, Windows, Xbox, LG Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, Sony Smart TV, and VIZIO Smart TV.
Content
Peacock includes more than 15,000 hours of content including original shows, classic series, and movies.
In addition to on-demand content, Peacock has linear channels similar to Pluto TV. These include live content like a full 24/7 feed of The Olympic Channel — but also created ones like one based on the SNL Vault.
Peacock Premium subscribers also have access to Premier League games not available on linear TV, as well as access to WWE Network, including PPV events and on-demand library at no additional cost. You can also stream 24/7 feed of The Olympic Channel. For late-night show fans, you can watch full episodes of The Tonight Show and Late Night starting at 8pm ET daily.
Originals
The NBCU-owned service relies heavily on nostalgia for their original shows. “Bel-Air” has been its best performer to date. Reboots of “Saved By The Bell” and “Punky Brewster” didn’t last.
Peacock often turns to trusted creators like Michael Schur to try to recreate the magic of shows like “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation,” though their new shows have struggled to catch on.
TV Shows
NBCUniversal’s Peacock is the exclusive home of “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Law & Order,” “Chicago Fire,” and “Two and a Half Men.”
Nearly all current NBC shows end up on Peacock.
It’s also the only place to see previous seasons of “Yellowstone.”
Premium subscribers can watch linear channels with repeats of newscasts from:
- New York, NY - WNBC
- Los Angeles, CA - KNBC
- Chicago, IL - WMAQ
- Boston, MA - NECN
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL - WTVJ
- Philadelphia, PA - WCAU
Premium Plus subscribers get access to a live stream of their local NBC affiliate, no matter where they live.
Movies
Peacock also offers a robust slate of critically-acclaimed films and box-office hits from Universal Pictures and Focus Features. The library does fluctuate from month-to-month, though some titles remain.
These titles range from laugh-out-loud comedies like “American Pie,” “Bridesmaids,” “Knocked Up,” “Meet the Parents,” and “Meet the Fockers,” to award-winning classics such as “A Beautiful Mind,” “Back to the Future,” “Brokeback Mountain,”“Casino,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Erin Brockovich,” “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial,” “Field of Dreams,” “Jaws,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Shrek,” and “The Breakfast Club.” Peacock will also feature films from the franchises: “Bourne,” “Despicable Me,” and “Fast & Furious.”
Kids
Peacock has a lot of family-friendly content that airs on NBC, including shows from Dreamworks Animation. You’ll also see lots of films featuring the popular Minions from the “Despicable Me” franchise.
There is very little children’s content on Peacock that is exclusive to the service, however. Most of the children’s TV shows can also be found on other services.
Features
Up to 3 Devices
Peacock allows you to stream on up to 3 devices simultaneously.
Parental Controls
Peacock has some parental controls to help restrict content.
DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV, and Sling TV also have parental control features.
Compatible Devices
Peacock is compatible with these devices:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Apple TV
- Google Chromecast (Google Cast)
- Roku
- Android TV
- iPhone/iPad
- Android Phone/Tablet
- Mac
- Windows
- Xbox
- LG Smart TV (webOS 3.0+)
- Samsung Smart TV (2018+)
- Sony Smart TV
- VIZIO Smart TV (2016+)
Peacock is not compatible with PlayStation or Nintendo devices.
Channels
Local Channels
Tech Specs
1080p HD
(Up to 4K UHD)
Nearly all content on Peacock is in HD. However, if you upgrade to Peacock Premium, select shows and movies will be available in 4K.
Some Surround
Stereo/Surround Sound
Some shows and movies on Peacock are available in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Peacock doesn’t support Dolby Atmos audio.