Peacock Ends Free Tier for New Customers, Shifts Focus to Paid Plans

Peacock is not “free as a bird” anymore, as its ads once touted.

The streamer’s free, ad-supported tier is no longer available to new customers, our sister site Variety confirms. Instead, new users will only be able to choose from the Premium plan with ads for $4.99 per month and the Premium Plus ad-free plan for $9.99 per month. Existing customers already on Peacock’s free plan can continue to stream without paying — at least for now. Comcast and Cox cable subscribers have so far been able to access Peacock Premium for no additional cost, but that perk, too, will end at some point in the near future.

“As part of Peacock’s growth strategy, we are shifting our focus to the Premium offering which is more reflective of the brand and the unique experience we can bring subscribers,” an NBCUniversal spokesperson said in a statement.

Peacock’s free plan offered only a fraction of the streamer’s full library, with many shows only available on the paid Premium and Premium Plus plans. Peacock is now the exclusive streaming home of NBC’s current primetime lineup, with shows like Chicago Fire, Law & Order: SVU and the new Night Court only available there to stream next-day. It’s also the home to original series like Bel-Air and Poker Face, though it hasn’t been able to come up with a buzzy breakout hit yet to compete with the likes of Netflix and Hulu.

Is Peacock worth shelling out money for? Hit the comments and give us your take on the streamer. 

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