Peacock Premium vs. Premium Plus: What to Consider in 2024
When considering streaming services and whether or not you want to add to your possibly continually growing list of subscriptions, you'll likely find yourself weighing different plan options. This is necessary for deciding which (if any) are right for you and whatever your latest binge obsession is.
This guide is going to focus on the differences in the two Peacock plans available to help you decide which one is right for you — or if either is at all.
Best Peacock Deals
Peacock Premium Student OfferStore: Peacock TV
Price: $1.99 per month
Verify your status with SheerID and get your first year of Peacock Premium for just $1.99 per month. After those 12 months, you may be able to renew at the lower rate by reverifying your status; otherwise you'll have to start paying the then-current rate to keep your subscription going.
Peacock Premium Military DiscountStore: Peacock TV
Price: $2.99 per month
You'll have to verify your military status first, but when you do, you can snag Peacock Premium for just $2.99 per month for 12 months. After that, you may need to resubmit your verification credentials in order to keep the lower price; otherwise, you'll have to start paying the then-current rate.
SEE ALSO: The Best 2024 Streaming Bundle Deals for Peacock, Hulu, and More
Peacock Premium vs. Premium Plus
How Do Peacock Premium and Premium Plus Differ?
There are only two Peacock plans available, which makes comparing and contrasting to decide which one is best for you an easier process.
Price. It's no surprise that price is going to be one of the biggest differences between the two plans. Premium is priced at $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year, while Premium Plus is $13.99 per month or $139.99 per year.
Ads. The other obvious difference is going to be in the amount of ads on each plan. Since Premium is ad-supported, you'll see more ads on that tier, but even Premium Plus has ads, despite claiming to be the "no ads" tier. This is because of limited exclusions for some content, so you can expect to see some ads during select live events, a few shows and movies, and when watching Peacock channels.
Entertainment options. The good news is that for the most part the two plans are pretty much identical. The Premium plan offers access to the following:
- More than 80,000 hours of shows, films, and originals
- Live sports and events
- Current NBC and Bravo shows
- More than 50 Always-On channels
- Limited ads
- Ability to download and watch select titles offline
- Access to your local NBC channel live, 24/7
Which Peacock Tier Is Best for You?
Given that the two plans are identical for the most part, the easiest way to decide which tier is best for you is by asking yourself a few questions. Are you bothered by ads? If so, it may be well worth paying $6 more per month or $60 more per year to cut down on the amount you'll see when streaming Peacock content.
It's not just about ads, though. Even if you're indifferent to the amount of ads, if you want to download content to watch offline, then you'll want to spring for the Premium Plus tier of the service. This could be especially useful if you're traveling and won't have consistent access to WiFi, or if your internet connection isn't strong enough to support your binge session.
The only other question to consider when weighing your options is whether or not you want access to your local NBC channel to see live broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This might not be a huge selling point for many, but some could find it useful. For instance, if you live in an area with frequent inclement weather, you may like being able to watch your local NBC weather person provide updates and notify you of weather warnings. In cases like that, the Premium Plus tier could be well worth the extra cost.
What Else to Know About Peacock
What Is Peacock?
Peacock is a streaming service from NBC Universal. It's named after the NBC logo and is relatively new in the streaming world, having been launched in July, 2020. Because it's from NBC, it mainly offers some live events (including select sports broadcasts) and movies, but most of what's available will be NBC content, whether originals or titles that air on the network in a more traditional format.
SEE ALSO: How Much Is Peacock Per Month? 2024 Subscription Breakdown
Does Peacock Have a Free Tier?
While Peacock used to offer a totally free tier for users, it discontinued that in January of 2023. Now if you want to partake in Peacock's offerings, you'll have to shell out at least $7.99 per month, unless you can take advantage of the Peacock student discount, the military discount, or if you happen to have an Instacart+ membership, you can get Peacock for free.
Can You Get Peacock Without Ads?
The short answer is sort of, but not really. While you can pay more for the Premium Plus tier which claims to have no ads, a disclaimer notes that "due to streaming rights, a small amount of programming will still contain ads (Peacock channels, events and a few shows and movies)." Even if you don't see them very often, you'll still see them even on the highest tier of the Peacock streaming service.
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