As a consumer of entertainment, I happen to subscribe to my share of streaming services. On that note, Peacock just announced another price increase, making it the fourth consecutive year that the streamer has upped the cost to watch its original content. It's a lot and, while I'm always trying to watch every new show on the 2026 TV schedule, I'm really considering letting my Peacock subscription fall by the wayside.
Right on the heels of news that the streamer turned profitable for the first time since launch, Variety reported that prices would go up yet again. Here's the breakdown:
- Peacock Select (no live sports, movies, or Peacock originals): $8.99 a month
- Peacock Premium (all offerings w/ads): $12.99 a month
- Peacock Premium Plus (all offerings no ads): $19.99 a month
For years, I've been a Peacock Premium member and have used the service to watch its movies, The Traitors, the WWE (before it moved to Netflix) and ESPN Unlimited. With this latest increase, I think I may be stuck watching only the normie season on NBC because I'm really struggling to justify the price.
Peacock's Latest Price Increase Makes It One Of The Most Expensive Streaming Services To Own
With this new price increase, subscribing to Peacock's Premium tier puts it above similar tiers for many of its rivals. Take a look at how much its competitors charge for their with-ads tiers:
- Netflix with ads: $8.99
- Paramount+ with ads: $8.99
- Disney+ with ads: $11.99
- Hulu with ads: $11.99
Peacock is now more expensive than all of those, though there's a dollar price point between it and Disney+ and Hulu. It is worth mentioning, however, that bundling Disney+ and Hulu with ads is the same price as Peacock now. Just speaking from personal experience, I've found myself using Disney+ and Hulu much more often than Peacock this year.
I'm A Traitors Fan, But I'm Not Really Tuning In For Anything Else
All this being said, I have to concede that I'm not using Peacock for what may be some of its biggest draws. I don't watch any of the Bravo reality shows and, during the summer, you'll find me watching Big Brother rather than Love Island.
As it stands, I mostly keep Peacock for The Traitors. Normally, I'm not one to up and cancel when my show is out of season but, with prices increaasing at the rate they are, I'd be foolish to keep it active when I'm only tuning in just for that.
Of course, in fairness, Peacock is not the only streamer to raise prices in recent years. It's unfortunate for someone like myself who loves TV, as I'm now watching subscriptions and what they're offering more than ever. I don't want to decide whether my Netflix subscription is worth owning, I just want to log on and use it when I learn something cool is there! Who would've thought when cord-cutting became mainstream it would effectively lead to a decision-making process more complicated than cable?
I have some thinking to do when it comes to Peacock, specifically when it comes to whether watching celebrities play a game show in a castle is worth the price I'll have to pay when a new season rolls around. For those who aren't sweating it, it's available in app stores on various platforms and is full of great content to watch.
