Is Peacock Premium Worth It? Price Packages, Content Library & More, Explained

Peacock Premium and Premium+ are subscription plans available for people looking to check out over-the-top streaming services, and there are some valid reasons to take a look at them over other services. The subscription-based streaming service wing of NBCUniversal, Peacock, first came online in April 2020, making it one of the younger streaming services available, and a little less "important" feeling for it. However, Peacock is as substantial as any of the other notable streaming services, and the service has even begun offering original movies.

Original Peacock TV shows have long been popular and critically acclaimed fare. Those originals combined with an impressive library of NBC hit shows, and other offerings available on the streamer, paint a much more robust picture of Peacock. It may not have the same popularity as Netflix, or the critical expectations of Max, but Peacock can stand up to just about any other streaming service in terms of offerings. However, with the prices of most streaming services steadily increasing, people are going to have to start deciding which ones are worth keeping.

There Are Two Peacock Plan Options

Premium+ Offers An Ad-Free Experience

There are only two Peacock subscription plans available to users, a small number compared to other streamers which often offer three or more. There's Premium and Premium+. Premium is $7.99/month and $79.99/year, though there are often deals that bring that yearly subscription price down to as low as $29.99/year for the first year. Premium includes the entire library of original, new, and old movies and TV shows; live sports and events broadcast on NBC channels; current NBC and Bravo shows; and over 50 always-on TV channels which are specially curated live channels. Premium is ad-supported content.

Premium+ is $13.99/month and $139.99/year. This subscription includes everything Premium offers but removes ads, except with limited exclusions for things like live sports, and allows users to download and watch select titles off-screen. Peacock Premium+ also includes 24/7 live local NBC channels. The biggest difference between the two packages is the lack of ads and the ability to watch local live television with Premium+. If those two facets are important for a user, Premium+ is the way to go.

Pros Of Subscribing To Peacock Premium Or Premium+

Peacock Has Exclusive And Popular TV Shows

The pros of subscribing to Peacock Premium or Premium+ mostly have to do with its large library of titles. Peacock's library includes classic and beloved shows such as The Office, Saturday Night Live, and Parks and Recreation​​​​​, none of which are available on any other major streaming service. There are also plenty of fantastic original Peacock shows worth watching, such as Poker Face, We Are Lady Parts, Based on a True Story, Bupkis, and Twisted Metal. Beyond Peacock and NBC originals, the service offers plenty of other titles.

Movies and TV shows are constantly changing on the service, just as they are on any streaming service, but some of their current notable movies include The Northman, The Wild Robot, Conclave, and Despicable Me 4. For TV shows, Peacock currently includes Chucky, Yellowstone, Suits, and The Vampire Diaries. The live sports channels are also a huge pro for subscribers. The Premier League, WWE, golf, the Olympics, NFL, Big East and Big Ten sports, and more are all available on the service.

Cons Of Subscribing To Peacock Premium Or Premium+

Peacock's Library Is Smaller Than Those Of Other Streaming Platforms

The cons of subscribing to Peacock Premium or Premium+, of course, include the price tag for each. What users definitely don't get with a Peacock subscription is a deep well of original movies. As of February 2025, Peacock has only released 18 original movies since 2020. In the same period, they released 37 original documentaries, so there are at least more titles on that front. Peacock originals do not often receive the same awards acknowledgment as originals from HBO, Apple TV+, and Netflix.

This is a bit of a Catch-22 because Peacock shows and movies don't receive the same critical acclaim, which means fewer people watch them, which means they are less likely to receive award consideration. It's a service that users may get frustrated with when they discover pop culture is not covering their original content as much as it is shows and movies from other streaming services. Those uninterested in live sports and TV may consider those offerings a waste of their subscription and would prefer to get rid of them if it meant a lower subscription cost.

How Peacock Premium Compares To Other Streaming Subscriptions

Peacock Premium+ Is Cheaper Than Comparable Premium Plans

Compared to the other major streaming services, Peacock sits squarely in the middle of the other platforms in terms of cost. Its Premium and Premium+ models are similar in price to Netflix, though a little cheaper on the Premium end. It's cheaper than Max, though a bit more expensive than Apple TV+. It's also slightly cheaper when compared to Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.

In terms of library offerings, Peacock is still slightly behind its contemporaries. It does not have the same amount of available third-party TV shows and movies as similarly priced platforms and its original content is significantly further behind streamers like Max and Netflix, a consequence of Peacock being much newer to the streaming game. Peacock is available on most devices, and it's just as easy to sign into and up for as any other streaming platform.

Peacock Premium Is Worth The Subscription Price

Peacock Has A Lot To Offer For A Good Price

For those users who like live sports and want live television, Peacock Premium and Premium+ are absolutely the right choice of subscription to get. It's significantly cheaper than YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV, and NBC includes fan-favorite sports like the NFL, college football and basketball, and it has the Olympics every two years. For those who don't care about live sports or live television, the question is a bit trickier. Peacock plans are cheaper than other platforms, but not by a notably significant amount.

The smaller content library also makes it a harder sell compared to a platform like Netflix and Max. However, the exclusive programs that Peacock does have, like The Office and SNL, are staple shows that everyone can enjoy. Just because there is more content does not mean that the streaming platform is better. It's the quality of the content that's the most important, and Peacock has a lot of quality and rewatchable content. For that reason, more than any, Peacock Premium and Premium+ are worthwhile subscriptions.