Apple TV+ Competitor NBC Peacock Reportedly Free For Everyone But There's A Catch

Comcast’s NBCUniversal’s Peacock was first reported in Sept, but way back, we have no information about its pricing. Now it appears that NBC has finally come up with a strategic move to position its streaming service against established names like Netflix, Apple TV+, and Disney TV+. If the latest reports are accurate, NBC Peacock might be released as a free streaming service for everyone.

The previous report courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter detailed that the NBC Peacock will have more than 15,000 hours of content, including “The Office” that might be available in April 2020. The previous report stated that the streaming service might have ad and ad-free pricing. A new report from CNBC earlier today reveals that NBCUniversal might consider making the NBC Peacock a free streaming service with an ad-supported version.

Initially, Comcast wanted NBC Peacock to be a free service available only to cable subscribers as well as Comcast broadband customers. The new plan, which is reportedly still under consideration, would be to offer ad-supported NBC Peacock streaming service to everyone. Additionally, the company will also provide an ad-free NBC Peacock, but it will come with a fee.

If the reports are correct, the NBC Peacock would be the first free streaming video service from a major media provider that will be available. This strategy will undoubtedly help NBC in its arrival in the streaming service segment and could receive a warm reception from consumers. Unfortunately, CNBC failed to mention how much will Comcast charge for the ad-free NBC Peacock streaming service.

Apple TV+ was launched with a free one-year trial for customers who purchased the new Apple device starting Sept. 10. Disney+, on the other hand, has a pre-order promo that slashed the cost down to less than $4 per month, aside from the one-year free subscription for Verizon customers. The ad-supported NBC Peacock is expected to charge $5 per user per month, according to 9to5mac.

This is the same pricing scheme that Apple TV+ offers post-trial period. The NBC Peacock will air between three and five minutes of advertisements for every hour of programming, said NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke.