Peacock's Price Goes Up Again, Right Before NFL Season Kicks Off
Comcast's streamer is raising prices on every tier for the fourth year running, and this time even the ad-free-lite plan without sports is getting more expensive.
What’s changing
Peacock is raising prices across all three of its subscription tiers, and the timing is no accident: it’s landing just weeks before the NFL regular season kicks off. NBC Universal confirmed the increases on Tuesday, marking the fourth price hike for the streamer in four years.
Here’s the new math:
- Peacock Premium (with ads): $13/month, or $130/year — up to whatever new subscribers are quoted starting now
- Peacock Premium Plus (ad-free on-demand, plus local NBC affiliates): $20/month, or $200/year
- Peacock Select (a lighter, ad-supported tier with no sports): $9/month, or $90/year
New subscribers are already paying the higher rates. Current customers get a short reprieve — the new pricing rolls out to existing accounts within the next month, timed to individual renewal dates.
Who actually pays more, and when
If you’re on an annual plan or locked into a promotional rate, NBC Universal says you’ll keep your current price until that term runs out. Once it renews, the new price kicks in automatically. Monthly subscribers should expect the increase to hit on their next billing cycle.
One detail worth flagging: Peacock Select’s price is going up too, even though that tier doesn’t include any live sports. NBC’s stated justification for the broader increases — continued investment in sports rights and content — doesn’t really explain why the cheapest, sports-free plan is also getting more expensive.
Bundles are still the workaround, for now
The increase applies to Peacock’s standalone pricing, not its bundled offers. That means pairing Peacock with something like Apple TV can still save subscribers money compared to buying it alone, at least until that changes too.
Comcast Xfinity Internet customers may already have a two-year free trial of Peacock Premium built into their account, and most Xfinity Internet and Xfinity TV subscribers can bundle Peacock with other apps — including Netflix, HBO Max and Disney Plus — for broader discounts. Peacock Premium also comes bundled into some pay-TV packages from Charter’s Spectrum TV and DIRECTV. And starting next year, YouTube Premium subscribers will get complimentary access to Peacock Premium as part of that service.
The sports investment behind the price tag
NBC has been spending heavily to build out Peacock’s live-sports lineup, including rights to Major League Baseball and NBA games, on top of its existing Sunday-night NFL package and occasional playoff games. In years when NBC and Telemundo hold the rights, Peacock also streams the Super Bowl. That spending is the backbone of NBC’s justification for the increase — even if it doesn’t fully explain why the no-sports Select tier is going up in price too.
Separately, NBC Universal announced a new Peacock membership program the day before the price hike, offering some subscribers perks like a free year of Instacart Plus and a Pizza Hut coupon — extras that don’t offset the higher monthly cost but may soften the blow for some.
What to do about it
Check your renewal date before you get surprised by a bigger charge. If you’re already bundling Peacock through Xfinity, Spectrum, DIRECTV or a similar package, you may not see a price change immediately — worth confirming with your provider. If you’re paying for Peacock on its own, compare the cost of pairing it with a bundle partner like Apple TV, since bundled pricing hasn’t moved yet. And if you don’t watch NBC’s live sports, it may be worth reassessing whether Peacock Select — now $90 a year — is still worth keeping instead of watching NBC content elsewhere.