If you saw “Premium Sides” on a menu, you’d know you’d be paying a little extra for something better than the basics. If you saw “Premium Offerings” on a hotel’s list of accommodations, you’d expect to see some special goods and services not included in the room’s base price. The same goes for our streaming services today. When the streamer tacks “Premium” onto the name, you’re in for something better than the basics. So, how do Peacock Premium vs Netflix Premium plans compare?
Peacock Premium vs Netflix Premium: Side by Side Comparison
| Peacock Premium | Netflix Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $4.99 | $19.99 |
| Annual price | $49.99 (one-time payment) | $239.88 (paid monthly) |
| Ads | Yes | No |
| Offline downloads | No | Yes |
| Full streaming library | Yes | Yes |
| Simultaneous streams | Three | Four |
| Top streaming quality | 4K Ultra HD | 4K Ultra HD |
| Top audio quality | Dolby Atmos | Dolby Atmos |
| Live content | Sports, Events | Stand-Up, Reunion Specials |
| Special features | Always-On channels, new episodes of NBC & Bravo shows as they air, exclusive new release films. | Six devices with downloads, four simultaneous streams, spatial audio, exclusive Netflix Original films |
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Peacock Premium vs Netflix Premium: What’s the Difference?
Despite bearing the “Premium” tag, both streaming services have fundamental differences. The side-by-side comparison above gives us a good glimpse at some. Let’s examine the differences in price, ad breaks, downloads, and live-streaming content between Peacock Premium vs Netflix Premium in detail below. Only then can we know which is the better value overall.
Price
Starting with price, how does Peacock Premium compare to that of Netflix Premium? Peacock Premium costs $4.99 a month for its ad-supported streaming. Subscribers may also pay $49.99 a month through a one-time payment for an added discount. Netflix Premium costs $19.99 a month for its ad-free streaming. It doesn’t offer a similar one-time payment discount, meaning your month-to-month cost will add up to nearly $240 a year. This is the most expensive Netflix plan. Peacock Premium Plus costs $9.99 a month, or $99.99 a year.
Ads
As we know, Peacock Premium comes with frequent ad breaks before, during, and after its streaming content. This is true regardless of what you’re watching. Not even Peacock’s ad-free tier is truly ad-free. Live sporting events and other live streams will always carry ad breaks by design. Conversely, Netflix Premium has no ad breaks. (Not even during its occasional live offerings.) This is a major plus for Netflix Premium and a major setback for Peacock Premium.
Downloads
Whether commuting to work, heading out on a road trip, or simply having a limited amount of data per month, offline downloads make it easy to stream content without using the Internet. Peacock Premium doesn’t offer this feature. Netflix Premium does, though. Not even Peacock Premium Plus allows for wide-ranging downloads that Netflix supports. It’s yet another setback for NBCUniversal’s service.
Live Content
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Let’s compare live offerings between Peacock Premium vs Netflix Premium. The former has plenty. From its Always-On channels that play popular shows 24/7 to its live sporting events and awards shows, Peacock has the live content space covered. Netflix (and, by default, Netflix Premium) is not quite on Peacock’s level just yet. While it’s begun to experiment with live stand-up shows and reunion episodes, Netflix is still a long way from ironing out all the kinks of its live content.
Simultaneous Streams
Many streamers allow multiple people to watch different titles from various devices, all from the same streaming service account. For example, you could be watching a television show in the living room, another a movie in their room, and a third a stand-up special in the den. Each one will enjoy their streams without interrupting the other. Peacock Premium lets you stream from up to three devices simultaneously, while Netflix Premium supports up to four.
The History of Peacock
When comparing Peacock Premium vs Netflix Premium, it helps to look at the origins and history of each service. Broadly speaking, the differences between each company and its origin story can tell us much about which Premium plan is superior. Peacock launched in April 2020. A division of Comcast, Peacock is the streaming home to all its fellow Comcast networks such as NBC, Bravo, USA, Syfy, E!, and more. Not to mention, Peacock holds an impressive chunk of NBCUniversal’s film library.
Even new theatrical releases — such as Cocaine Bear and Knock at the Cabin, for example — stream exclusively on Peacock before ending up anywhere else. Peacock Premium also streams live sporting events, awards ceremonies, and other special events. Additionally, Peacock Premium offers Always-On channels: 24/7 live streams of hit shows that function similarly to a television station. However, only Peacock Premium Plus offers live-streaming of your local NBC television station.
At the service’s launch, Peacock Premium was the middle tier of the three. Today, with Peacock’s decision to remove the free base tier, Peacock Premium has now transitioned to the service’s entry-level tier. Peacock Premium Plus is your only other option, and it’s available for twice the price. In addition to the live-streamed local NBC station, Peacock Premium Plus also removes ads. This is the biggest difference between these two Peacock plans. Premium has ads, while Premium Plus has next to none.
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How Netflix Compares
If Peacock is the new kid on the block, then Netflix is the homestead that’s been around for a while. First launched in 2007, after ten years of being an exclusive DVD-by-mail service, Netflix has spent the last 16 years slowly growing and developing its streaming service arm. It has seen so much growth that the original DVD-by-mail offering will officially be shut down by the end of fall 2023. Founders Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph transformed their humble video rental competitor into the world’s most popular paid streaming service.
Home to a vast library of television shows, movies, specials, and original content, Netflix offers a variety of plans to subscribers. Netflix Premium is the most expensive, most feature-heavy plan of the four. The only plan with 4K Ultra HD streaming and spatial audio, Netflix Premium is incredibly appealing based on this advantage alone. It also provides the most simultaneous streams and device downloads of all four Netflix plans. While it comes at a hefty price, many still opt for this top tier.
Nevertheless, Peacock continues to hit Netflix where it hurts: Its content. The Office, Parks & Recreation, and other NBCUniversal titles were once smash successes on Netflix. Some have even said Netflix streaming helped turn these moderately well-received comedies into massively successful contemporary sitcom classics. Despite this, Peacock has pulled The Office, Parks & Rec, and numerous other properties off of Netflix and placed them on its in-house streamer instead. If this trend continues, Netflix will be gutted and badly hurt.
Peacock Premium vs Netflix Premium: 5 Must-Know Facts
- At Peacock’s launch, the service offered a free, ad-supported base tier. However, Peacock executives removed the plan in early 2023 to cut costs. Initial subscribers can still access Peacock for free.
- Netflix recently introduced a cheaper, ad-supported version of its Standard plan called Netflix Standard with Ads. It includes all but about 60 Netflix titles available on the ad-free Standard plan. The plan streams in Full HD on up to two devices but forbids offline downloads.
- Peacock has just two plans: Peacock Premium and Peacock Premium Plus. Netflix, comparatively, has four: Netflix Basic, Netflix Standard, Netflix Standard with Ads, and Netflix Premium.
- Peacock offers exclusive extended episodes of The Office and Parks & Recreation. The service edited these episodes with new and never-before-seen deleted scenes to attract more subscribers.
- Netflix recently began developing a library of mobile games and integrating them into its streaming hub. Netflix Premium gives you full access to these mobile games, ad-free and unhindered.
Peacock Premium vs Netflix Premium: Pros and Cons
| Pros of Peacock Premium | Cons of Peacock Premium |
|---|---|
| Exclusive streaming home to hit NBC shows | Includes ad breaks |
| Offers new movies straight from the theater | No live-streaming local NBC station |
| Super affordable at $5 a month or $50 a year | Only three simultaneous streams |
| 4K UHD and Dolby Atmos streaming quality | No offline downloads allowed |
| Pros of Netflix Premium | Cons of Netflix Premium |
|---|---|
| Only Netflix plan with 4K UHD streaming | At $19.99, the plan is Netflix’s most expensive |
| Spatial audio is exclusive to this plan | Less live offerings than Peacock |
| Ad-free with access to the full library | Ultra HD streaming uses lots of bandwidth |
| Up to four simultaneous streams | Losing increasing amounts of licensed content |
Peacock Premium vs Netflix Premium: Which Is Better?
So, which “Premium” subscription service is the better value? Peacock Premium is $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year for ad-supported streaming of the full NBCUniversal and Comcast streaming library. On the other hand, Netflix Premium is $19.99 a month (which adds up to $239.88 a year) for ad-free streaming of the entire Netflix library. Both have 4K UHD streaming with Dolby Atmos audio, but only Netflix allows offline downloads. Though it’s four times Peacock’s price, Netflix Premium is the better value based on its ad-free content and support for downloads.
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