Peacock launches with the advantage of having a free tier

The Verge

The NBC Universal streaming service debuts Wednesday with a "not-so-secret ingredient" in the streaming wars: a free tier that gives viewers more than 13,000 hours of content, daily news and sports programming, and samplings of Peacock original series, but not full access. "It’s a break from traditional streaming services, which usually break down into two main categories: SVOD (subscription video-on-demand) and AVOD (advertising-based video-on-demand)," says Julia Alexander. "Peacock is taking a unique approach in straddling the line between both, but the company’s focus is on giving Peacock away as free to as many people as possible...That’s free with a giant asterisk attached, as the entry-level tier comes with considerably less content — including access to some of the live benefits that NBCUniversal is promoting as a key differentiator for its service (like live Premier League soccer games). For full access to those live services — to really enjoy Peacock for what it’s designed to do — it’ll cost me $10 a month (as I’m more inclined to go ad-free)."

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• Here's the list of launch day shows on the free and premium Peacock tiers