When the monthly bill for streaming starts to feel like a cable bill, you know changes are in the air. Enter Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, owned by Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA), which just announced that its subscribers are about to feel a little more squeeze on their wallets. The company is hiking prices for its two main plans and rolling out a brand new offering that could appeal to a pretty specific crowd.
If you are used to paying $7.99 for Peacock’s ad-supported premium plan, be prepared to see that figure climb to $10.99 per month beginning July 23. The premium plus package, which even fewer ads and a handful of extra perks, will now land at $16.99 per month. That is a $3 jump for each plan, marking the latest in what is starting to feel like a regular tradition for streaming services that find themselves in battles for both eyeballs and profit margins.
Peacock is not exactly breaking new ground with this price bump. In fact, just last year, the service pushed through a $2-per-month increase. This time around, the timing seems calculated, hitting just before the new TV season and while anticipation is building for Peacock’s growing slate of exclusive sports rights and buzzy original shows. If you have an annual subscription, expect a heftier charge as well: Premium will change from $79.99 up to $109.99, while Premium Plus will rise from $139.99 to $169.99 per year. The timing for existing customers is a bit softer, with price increases showing up around August 22, depending on a subscriber’s billing cycle.
With this adjustment, Peacock’s monthly price for ad-supported streaming outpaces many of its rivals, including Disney+, Hulu, Max and even Netflix’s ad-supported plan by at least a dollar per month. Peacock’s ad-free plan will now cost about as much as Netflix or Disney+ want for their top options. What do you get for all this extra money? On the surface, access to hit reality shows like “Love Island USA,” classic content from NBC, Universal’s movie vault, live sports and, coming soon, NBA basketball and even the 2026 Super Bowl. That is a big line-up, but it comes at a time when other platforms seem just as willing to ratchet up fees in a climate where customers are watching their household budgets closer than ever.
Recognizing that some may wince at yet another price increase, Peacock is about to start experimenting with a new, cheaper option. Dubbed the “Select” tier, this plan is aimed squarely at TV lovers who do not care as much about live sports or next-day episodes but do want to binge current NBC and Bravo series as well as a batch of library shows. Priced at $7.99 per month, the Select plan will carry a lower fee, which is the same as the old Premium plan, before its recent price bump. Select will also have its own annual option, costing $79.99.
That “Select” name is not exactly mysterious, it takes the edge off the monthly fee by trimming the content selection. Live sports, next-day episodes, and some high-profile new releases will be locked behind the costlier Premium and Premium Plus tiers. Peacock says this new tier is really a test, so it will be interesting to see if budget-minded viewers respond, or if they continue cycling between subscriptions depending on what shows are in-season.
Peacock’s changes are part of a bigger picture. The U.S. streaming business is hitting a reset button. Companies, including Peacock, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+, are shifting the landscape, pushing prices higher and trying to find the right balance of content, advertising and sports to keep subscribers from jumping ship. For Peacock, bolstered by a recent increase in subscriber numbers, up to 41 million paid accounts in the first quarter of this year, this confidence comes at a time when it needs to prove it offers enough value to keep growing, or at least, keep people from canceling after the latest price jump.
For consumers deciding whether to spend that extra $3 every month, the decision may come down to which shows and sports are absolute musts, or if a little break from streaming is in order. Regardless, the monthly cost to watch your favorite content is not coming down any time soon.
