A Peacock Premium subscription unlocks access to all of the shows and movies available to watch through the streaming service. However, there are two different Peacock Premier plans to choose from, and picking the right one depends on how much a household is willing to pay each month. This is in addition to whether they want to skip the ads and whether they want access to their local NBC station.
In terms of the price, the standard Peacock Premium plan costs $7.99 a month or $79.99 a year. The Premium Plus plan costs almost twice as much, with the price coming it at $13.99 a month or $139.99 a year.
Is Premium Plus really worth paying almost twice as much?
The short answer, it depends. For many homes the standard Peacock Premium plan will be more than enough. However, there is plenty of additional value available when upgrading to Premium Plus.
Here are the main differences between Premium and Premium Plus.
| Peacock | Premium | Premium Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7.99/mo. | $13.99/mo. |
| Ad-free | ❌ | ✔ |
| Local NBC | ❌ | ✔ |
| Downloads | ❌ | ✔ |
Peacock Premium vs Premium Plus
Regardless of the Premium tier chosen, all subscribers get access to all of the shows, movies and live sports available to watch through Peacock. With no difference in on-demand content, there is no obvious reason to consider upgrading to Plus.
However, for those that want the richest experience possible, the differences collectively do add up, beginning with an ad-free viewing experience.
The Premium Plus ads difference
One of the most obvious differences between the Premium and Premium Plus tiers is that Plus is an ad-free subscription. There are some caveats here, including the fact that not all of the content on Peacock is available to watch without ads. While most of the library is available ad-free to Premium Plus subscribers, Peacock does make clear that “a small amount of programming” will still contain ads, due to streaming rights.
Peacock also offers access to a variety of live linear channels. As these are live channels, ads will also be encountered regardless of whether paying for the ad-free upgrade.
Another caveat, and one we would argue is a reason not to upgrade, is Peacock’s approach to ads in movies.
Peacock gets a lot of movies before other services, so it can be a good subscription for movie fans. In our experience, Peacock almost always offers an uninterrupted viewing experience. Unlike most other services that show ads throughout a movie, Peacock tends to show an extended ad break (often around three minutes) before the movie starts. Once the movie begins, it is usually available to watch in full without ads.
With these caveats in mind, if you are considering signing up to Peacock to primarily watch live sports and/or movies then we wouldn’t recommend paying for the ad-free tier. Instead, upgrading to ad-free will mostly benefit those wanting to watch on-demand shows and episodes without the interruptions.
The Premium Plus NBC difference
Premium Plus also includes access to a subscriber’s local NBC station. This is a very good benefit to have, and especially if not currently signed up to a live TV plan that includes NBC, or you’re unable to access a local, over-the-air NBC station using an antenna.
I you are able to access your local NBC affiliate or are subscribed to a live TV plan that includes NBC then we don’t see a reason to upgrade to Premium Plus for access to NBC.
As an extension of this point, most NBC shows and programming are available to watch on-demand with the standard Premium plan, with new episodes of current shows typically added the day after they are shown live on NBC.
Likewise, popular live sports events shown on NBC are also usually made available to all Peacock subscribers. While Premium Plus subscribers can tune in to the channel and watch live as normal, Peacock regularly makes a separate stream available for those signed up to the ad-supported plan.
Even though you won’t be able to watch pre-and-post-game coverage through this alternate stream, it does further reduce the need to pay more each month to watch live sports on NBC, including NFL, Premier League, and the Olympics.
The Premium Plus downloads difference
One of the more minor differences between Premium and Premium Plus is the ability to download videos to watch at a later time, including offline. The reason we consider this minor is due to the additional restrictions that are in play here.
The main limitation is that downloads are only available on mobile devices. Unless you are someone who travels often, or routinely find yourself away from a Wi-Fi signal, we don’t really see much benefit in having access to downloads – at least not on a permanent basis.
If, for example, you want to watch NBC shows and Universal movies while on vacation, you can simply upgrade to Premium Plus for the month you will be away and then downgrade again once you’re back home.
Peacock also only allows 25 videos to be downloaded across all devices at any one time. While enough for a series or two, this is a low cap. Adding to this, Peacock tends to treat downloads similar to digital rentals. For example, all downloaded content is automatically deleted from the device 48 hours after playback has started, and will automatically be removed after 30 days regardless of whether it has been watched.
If on vacation or planning to be away from home, then upgrading to Plus for one month seems reasonable, but upgrading permanently for access to downloads isn’t really worth it, in our opinion.
So, should you upgrade to Premium Plus?
The three main differences between Premium and Premium Plus are the removal of ads, access to local NBC, and the ability to download videos. As we’ve discussed, we don’t view any single one of these reasons as reason enough to upgrade and pay more each month for Premium Plus. While each has its benefits, we don’t think they offer enough on their own to justify paying almost twice as much each month.
That said, Premium Plus subscribers do get access to all of these features for the price of the single upgrade, and that does change things. If you want to watch without ads and want access to you local NBC station, then it suddenly makes a lot more sense to upgrade to Premium Plus.
In general, we would suggest trying the standard Premium plan out first to make sure Peacock works for you, and to see whether the use of ads, lack of local NBC, and the lack of downloads are all things you’re happy with.
If any of these limitations prove to be too much of a dealbreaker, then it may be time to upgrade, safe in the knowledge that you’ll also benefit from the additional upgrades as well.
$8-14/mo
- Live Channels
- Live Sports
- NBC & Bravo Shows
Leave a Reply