Is Peacock’s $3 Price Hike Worth the Pain? Here’s What You Need to Know

Why Is Peacock Raising Prices Again When Everyone’s Already Broke?

Peacock just hit subscribers with another price increase. Your monthly bill is going up by $3. This makes it the third time in three years that the streaming service has raised prices.

Starting July 23rd, new customers will pay more. If you’re already a subscriber, you’ll see higher prices after August 22nd. The timing depends on when your next bill comes due.

What the New Prices Look Like

Here’s how much you’ll pay now:

Monthly Plans

• Peacock Premium (with ads): $10.99 (was $7.99)
• Peacock Premium Plus (ad-free): $16.99 (was $13.99)

Yearly Plans

• Premium with ads: $109.99 (was $79.99)
• Premium Plus ad-free: $169.99 (was $139.99)

Why This Price Jump Hurts

This increase makes Peacock more expensive than many competitors. The ad-supported plan now costs more than similar tiers from Netflix, Disney+, and Paramount+. That’s a big deal when money is tight.

Think about it this way. You’re paying 38% more for the basic plan. That extra $3 per month adds up to $36 more per year. For many families, that’s real money.

The Good News: A Cheaper Option Is Coming

Peacock knows people are struggling with costs. They’re testing a new plan called Peacock Select. This cheaper option costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year.

What you get with Select:

• Current seasons of NBC shows
• Current seasons of Bravo programs
• Some library content
• Limited selection compared to full plans

Why Peacock Thinks You’ll Pay More

The company believes their service was priced too low. They point to success stories like Love Island USA and upcoming NBA games. Peacock will stream more live sports than Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, Apple TV+, and Netflix combined by 2026.

Here’s what drives the higher prices:

1. Popular content: Shows like The Office and Love Island keep people watching
2. Sports programming: NBA games return to NBC after 23 years
3. Live events: NFL Sunday Night Football and WWE programming
4. Original shows: New series and exclusive content

How This Affects Your Budget

Let’s be real about the money. If you keep both the Premium and Premium Plus plans in a household, you’re looking at serious monthly costs. Many families already struggle with multiple streaming subscriptions.

The math gets ugly fast:

• One Premium plan: $10.99/month ($131.88/year)
• One Premium Plus plan: $16.99/month ($203.88/year)
• Both plans: $27.98/month ($335.76/year)

Smart Ways to Handle This Increase

You have several options to deal with higher costs:

Option 1: Switch to Select

1. Save money with the cheaper tier
2. Keep watching current NBC and Bravo shows
3. Accept a smaller content library

Option 2: Look for deals

1. Student discounts offer 75% off regular prices
2. Mastercard users can get monthly credits
3. Annual plans save money compared to monthly billing

Option 3: Share with family

1. Premium allows 3 simultaneous streams
2. Split costs with household members
3. Make the higher price more manageable

Option 4: Take a break

1. Cancel during months with less content
2. Come back for specific shows or sports seasons
3. Avoid paying year-round for occasional viewing

What This Means for Streaming Overall

Peacock’s price hike reflects a bigger trend. Streaming services continue raising prices as they chase profitability. The days of cheap streaming as a cable alternative are ending.

The streaming landscape is changing:

• More services cost over $10 per month
• Ad-supported tiers are becoming standard
• Companies focus on premium content to justify higher prices
• Sports programming drives up costs across platforms

Making Your Decision

Before you decide, consider what you actually watch. Do you use Peacock enough to justify $11-17 per month? Are there shows you can’t get elsewhere?

Questions to ask yourself:

• How often do you watch Peacock content?
• Which shows would you miss most?
• Can you get similar content elsewhere for less?
• Is the sports programming worth the extra cost?

Remember, you’re not stuck with any decision. Streaming services make it easy to cancel and restart subscriptions. You can always take breaks and come back when there’s content you really want to watch.

The price increase stings, especially when budgets are already tight. But understanding your options helps you make the choice that works best for your wallet and viewing habits.