You do have to pay for Peacock to get full access, but there are different paid plans and a few ways to get it at low or no extra cost through bundles or promos.

Is Peacock free or paid?

Peacock is primarily a paid streaming service now, built around subscription plans rather than a permanent free tier.

Some older articles mention “Peacock Free,” but current offerings focus on paid plans with ads or ad-free viewing instead.

Current Peacock plans and prices

As of late 2025, Peacock has multiple paid tiers, with recent price increases.

  • Peacock Premium (with ads): around $10.99–$11 per month or about $109.99–$110 per year after the July 23, 2025 price hike.
  • Peacock Premium Plus (mostly ad‑free): around $16.99–$17 per month or about $169.99–$170 per year after the same increase.
  • A cheaper ad‑supported “Select” tier is being tested at about $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year, with a more limited library and focus on NBC/Bravo current seasons.

These prices can vary slightly by source because some outlets round to the nearest dollar or summarize ranges.

Are there any ways to get Peacock without paying directly?

You still usually “pay” via some subscription, but you might not be billed by Peacock itself.

  • Bundles and partner perks:
    • Certain memberships like Instacart+ have recently included Peacock Premium at no extra cost beyond the Instacart+ fee, which runs about $10/month or $99/year.
  • Student/young adult discounts:
    • Peacock has offered student or young‑adult discounts around $2.99/month for Premium for eligible users after verification, typically for a limited term (for example, 12 months).
  • Trials and promos:
    • Time‑limited free access sometimes appears via partners (retailers, ISPs, streaming bundles), usually a few weeks or months for new or returning subscribers.

You generally cannot count on a permanent free tier for full access to Peacock’s catalog anymore, especially for big shows, movies, and live sports.

What do you get for the money?

While the question is “do you have to pay,” it often helps to know what you’re paying for.

  • Large on‑demand library: tens of thousands of hours of NBC/Bravo shows, Universal movies, and Peacock originals.
  • Live sports: NFL games (like Sunday Night Football), Premier League, WWE, and other events, mostly included starting at the Premium tier.
  • Extras on Premium Plus: downloadable titles for offline viewing and live access to your local NBC station inside the app.

Quick bottom line

  • For full access, yes, you generally do have to pay for one of Peacock’s subscription tiers.
  • You might avoid paying Peacock directly if you qualify for a bundle (like Instacart+) or a limited‑time student/young‑adult promo, but those still involve some underlying paid membership.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.