Peacock has a limited free tier, but you need to pay to unlock all its shows and movies. Unless you qualify for a special discount.
Angela Lang/CNET
Peacock houses tens of thousands of hours of free shows, movies, sports and originals. But a lot of the most popular programming is restricted to premium members only. You can’t watch same-day streaming movies, Yellowstone, Bel-Air, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Premier League matches, WWE and other titles in full unless you pay for a Peacock Premium subscription.
However, if you use certain cable companies, you could take advantage of discounts on the price of Peacock — or even get Peacock Premium free.
Peacock gives Comcast Xfinity X1 and Flex subscribers the paid versions of the service at a $5 discount. That means if you want to watch with advertising, you’ll pay nothing for Peacock Premium; if you want to watch ad-free, you’ll need to pay $5 a month for Premium Plus.
Meanwhile, Spectrum video and broadband customers get an extended free trial of Peacock, thanks to a deal with parent company Charter Communications. Qualified Spectrum TV customers get a year-long free trial, and qualified Spectrum internet customers get 90 days.
Here’s how to score a deal.
Spectrum offers 3 or 12 months for free
Spectrum’s deal applies to Spectrum TV customers for 12 months (with the exception of Basic or TV Essentials tier plans) and Spectrum internet users for three months. New Peacock Premium subscribers can sign up for the Spectrum deal on Peacock’s website, but existing Peacock customers will have to cancel their current subscriptions to sign up for this offer. Visit Peacock’s help center for instructions on how to switch.
If you cancel your Spectrum TV service during the free 12-month period, your Peacock Premium will be unlinked and canceled. But if you have Spectrum internet in addition to the cable TV service, you can link your Spectrum account to Peacock Premium for the 90-day access deal. This doesn’t apply to customers who only have Spectrum internet. If you disconnect internet service during the 90-day promotional period, your Peacock Premium will be canceled.
Xfinity X1, Flex subscribers have 3 ways to sign up
Xfinity subscribers have several ways to activate Peacock Premium. Flex customers with or without TV service are eligible for free access to Peacock Premium. The Flex 4K streaming box includes the Peacock app, and you only have to open it to register with your username and password.
X1 and video customers who subscribe to Xfinity Internet or Digital Starter TV can sign up directly through Peacock’s website. New and existing customers will be instructed on how to link their Xfinity account. You can also use your Xfinity remote to say, “Show me Peacock,” and you’ll be taken to a screen to register your username.
Though the ad-supported Peacock Premium is available for free with these deals, you can always upgrade your account to Premium Plus for an ad-free viewing experience at an additional cost.
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