Cable giant Comcast is set to end its free Peacock Premium coverage later this year for its Xfinity customers. Since the streaming service launched in 2020, Xfinity TV and broadband customers have had access to Peacock at no extra charge, but that will end on June 26.
A report from Variety claims that Comcast has already begun notifying customers that, starting at the end of June, ad-supported Peacock Premium will no longer be a part of their existing Xfinity service. Customers can still purchase a subscription as an add-on at a discounted rate. However, pricing details have yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, new Xfinity subscribers will be eligible to get Peacock Premium free for the first six months. And from then on, they will also be able to subscribe at the reduced rate.
Normally, Peacock Premium costs $4.99 per month.
Comcast and Peacock Access: Cable and Streaming
The recent developments come just a month after Peacock stopped offering customers the ability to sign up for the ad-supported free version. NBC Universal CEO Jeff Shell had previously said in June of last year that the company planned to end the Peacock bundle offer for Xfinity. “At some point, we will pass that on to payment,” Shell said.
The report also indicates that a representative for NBC Universal has said that there were already plans to phase out Peacock’s free offering for Comcast subscribers. It’s part of Peacock’s long-term strategy, and in the meantime, the company is focused on increasing organic subscription growth.
By the end of 2022, Peacock has seen a double increase in subscribers, going from 9 million in 2021 to 20 million. Peacock Premium content is expected to grow to nearly 100,000 hours this year with licensed TV shows, original series and movies alongside live news and sports.
For soccer fans, Peacock offers between 175 and 180 Premier League games per season. Peacock has recently added USMNT and USWNT games (in Spanish), as well as FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup.
In 2023, Peacock plans to release select Premier League games in 4K.
Photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
