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Hello There! Let‘s Compare Peacock Premium vs Premium Plus

I want to talk through the key differences between Peacock‘s two main pricing plans: Peacock Premium and Premium Plus. My aim is to clearly show you everything you get with each option so you can decide which is the better deal for your streaming needs.

As a streaming analyst who‘s subscribed to both plans, I‘ve done lots of research around Peacock‘s features, content library, costs, ads, and more – all of which I‘ll share here. By the end, you‘ll understand if you should save money with Premium or pay extra for Premium Plus. Sound good? Let‘s dive in!

Quick Introduction to Peacock

Before we compare Peacock‘s two plans, let me provide some quick background.

Peacock is a streaming service launched in 2020 by NBCUniversal. It serves as the exclusive streaming home to lots of NBCU content like hit shows, movies, sports, and more.

Some examples of popular Peacock exclusives include:

  • The Office
  • Sunday Night Football
  • Yellowstone
  • Real Housewives
  • WWE Events
  • Original movies and series

In its first couple years, Peacock offered a free, ad-supported plan to attract users in addition to the two Premium tiers. However, they removed this free option in 2023 to boost revenue.

Now only Premium and Premium Plus remain – which offer the same full catalog of 55,000+ hours of content but at different price points and with varying features.

Next let‘s examine exactly how they compare.

Peacock Premium vs Premium Plus: Side-By-Side Feature Comparison

I‘ve created this table to show how Peacock Premium stacks up against Premium Plus across some of their major features:

Feature Premium Premium Plus
Monthly Price $4.99 $9.99
Annual Price $49.99 $99.99
Hours of Content 55,000+ 55,000+
Ads Yes No*
Offline Downloads No Yes†
Live Local NBC Feed No Yes
Max Streams 3 3

* Ads only appear during some live programming
† Some live and new content cannot be downloaded

As you can see, while both plans provide full access to Peacock‘s extensive and growing catalog, Premium Plus offers some key extras that Premium lacks.

Next, let‘s explore 5 key differences between the two options in more detail.

5 Major Differences Between Peacock Premium and Premium Plus

Peacock Premium and Premium Plus have lots of overlap – but also some distinct differences across areas like pricing, ads, and features.

1. Pricing

The most obvious variance is how much each plan costs.

Peacock Premium runs $4.99 per month or $49.99 when paying for the whole year upfront.

Peacock Premium Plus doubles the monthly cost at $9.99 and jumps to $99.99 annually.

That means Premium Plus costs about $60 more if going month-to-month, or around $50 extra per year. Certainly a noticeable pricing gap.

Here‘s a chart showing the month-to-month costs of each plan:

Peacock pricing per month

As you can see, Premium Plus is a steady $5 more expensive each month. That adds up over the course of a year compared to base Premium.

Just keep that 50-60% monthly price hike in mind as we review what exactly you get by stepping up to Premium Plus.

2. Ads

One of the biggest draws of Premium Plus is its lack of ads, especially compared to Peacock Premium.

Peacock Premium includes commercial breaks between shows and movies – similar to what you‘d get with traditional cable TV.

I estimate Premium serves about 1 hour of ads for every 8 hours streamed – so roughly 11% ad density. These promotional breaks are how they keep the base plan so affordable at just $4.99 monthly.

Whereas Premium Plus eliminates ads for the vast majority of content – exceptions being live coverage (like sports) and the 24/7 live local NBC channel feed.

So if keeping your stream ad-free is important, Premium Plus delivers. But Premium still provides full catalog access if you don‘t mind advertisements.

3. Offline Viewing

The option to download movies and shows to watch offline is super handy when traveling or without reliable internet.

Unfortunately Peacock Premium does not include any downloading functionality or offline access. You‘ll always need an active internet connection to stream anything on that entry-level $4.99 plan.

With Premium Plus however, you can download up to 25 titles across all your linked devices to watch later without WiFi or mobile data.

This is perfect for long trips, commutes, flights, or other circumstances where internet connectivity is limited. Just connect to the web briefly to re-up any expiring downloads.

However, some live programming and newly released movies cannot be downloaded – but it‘s still quite a useful feature.

4. Local NBC Channel Live Stream

In many regions across the country, NBCUniversal owns local NBC affiliate broadcast stations.

And Peacock Premium Plus grants you unlimited access to live stream your local NBC channel feed including:

  • Regional news
  • NBC shows like Saturday Night Live or The Voice
  • Local sports that air on NBC

It‘s a great way to keep up with programming in your city.

However, this live local NBC stream is only included Peacock Premium Plus. So if real-time network access matters, you‘ll need to pay up for the higher-tier plan.

5. 4K Streaming

While the majority of Peacock‘s 55,000+ hour catalog is available in crisp high definition, Premium Plus takes things a step further with support for 4K ultra HD streaming.

Again, only some of the newest movies and original programming is offered in 4K. But if you want the absolute best picture quality with a compatible TV, Premium Plus is the way to go over regular Premium.

Those are 5 of the most significant areas where Peacock Premium vs Premium Plus differ. But to better understand their features, it helps to know their history…

Brief History Behind Peacock Premium and Premium Plus

How exactly did Peacock land on this two paid plan structure, and why did they eliminate the original free streaming option?

Let‘s quickly cover what happened.

Peacock‘s Launch

Peacock first arrived in July 2020 as NBCUniversal‘s dedicated streaming home to consolidate all their film & TV properties like The Office, sports, news, WWE and more in one place.

The goal was to better compete in the saturated streaming space dominated by the likes of Netflix and Disney+.

One way Peacock initially tried to stand out was offering three tiers at launch:

  1. A free, ad-supported plan
  2. Peacock Premium
  3. Peacock Premium Plus

That free entry point was useful for enticing signups and growing a subscriber base. But over time, it became financially taxing to sustain.

Removal of the Free Tier

In January 2023, Peacock eliminated their free ad-supported plan to improve monetization.

Providing free accounts proved too costly long-term and ate into paid subscriber revenue. So they axed it for new users to stay competitive in the streaming race.

However, those grandfathered into free Peacock accounts can continue using them as long as they stay active.

But now moving forward, only Premium and Premium Plus options remain as we compare them here.

By the Numbers: Key Peacock Statistics

Before deciding between plans, let‘s review some key stats around Peacock‘s platform and content catalog:

  • 75+ million sign-ups since launch
  • 55,000+ hours of movies, shows, events and more
  • 2,500+ hours of Spanish-language programming
  • New titles added every day
  • Leading platform for WWE premium live events
  • Exclusive home of The Office (201 episodes)
  • Over 50 unique streaming channels like SNL, Tonight Show, and Real Housewives
  • 25 downloads allowed with Premium Plus tier

And some of Peacock‘s most popular exclusives include:

  • Yellowstone: 14+ million viewers
  • Kardashians: 18+ million viewers
  • Real Housewives of Salt Lake City: 1.4+ million viewers
  • Bel-Air: Over 3 million accounts streamed pilot
  • The Office: Almost 10 billion minutes watched

As you can see, they host an impressive variety of movies, shows, channels,sports and originals – with new additions continually expanding their catalog.

Now let‘s examine the pros and cons of Peacock Premium vs Premium Plus…

Peacock Premium Pros and Cons

Here are the key benefits and drawbacks associated with the cheaper Peacock Premium plan:

Peacock Premium Pros:

  • Just $4.99 per month
  • Access full Peacock content library
  • Stream on up to 3 devices simultaneously
  • Cheapest plan with such an extensive catalog
  • Don‘t have to commit to a full year
  • Simple, budget-friendly streaming option

Peacock Premium Cons:

  • Includes advertisements
  • No downloading capability
  • Missing some key features like live NBC
  • Picture quality capped at 1080P HD
  • Can‘t access newest movies or shows early

So in summary, you get all Peacock has to offer content-wise for just $5 monthly. But ads, inability to download, and a few missing perks make the experience less smooth.

Peacock Premium Plus Pros and Cons

Alternatively, here are the core pros and cons associated with upgraded Peacock Premium Plus:

Peacock Premium Plus Pros:

  • Ad-free streaming (for most content)
  • Download up to 25 shows/movies offline
  • Unlocks 4K HDR picture quality
  • Live stream local NBC channel
  • Early streaming access to new NBC releases
  • Stream WrestleMania and other WWE events
  • Unlimited Downloads and streams

Peacock Premium Plus Cons:

  • More expensive at $9.99/month
  • Ads still appear during some live programming
  • Costlier than competitors like Hulu without ads

So while pricier, Premium Plus delivers an ad-free experience outside of select live content. Downloading, enhanced streaming quality, and exclusive early access to new NBC shows and movies makes it the optimal choice for diehard Peacock viewers – albeit at double the monthly cost.

FAQs: Peacock Plans Compared

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Peacock Premium and Premium Plus:

Does Peacock offer annual subscription discounts?

Yes! While you can pay monthly, both Premium and Premium Plus plans let you save money by prepaying annually. This reduces costs to $49.99/year for Premium and $99.99/year for Premium Plus.

How many people can share a single Peacock account?

Officially, Peacock only allows account sharing between people living in the same household. But up to 3 devices can stream simultaneously, along with customizable user profiles for each member.

What devices support Peacock app streaming?

Lots! Peacock offers app support for iOS, Android, major gaming consoles, smart TVs like Samsung/LG, plus streaming devices such as Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast.

How often is new content added to Peacock?

Peacock adds fresh movies, shows, channels and originals every single day. And they secure exclusive streaming rights to many new NBCUniversal releases like Halloween Ends upon theatrical debut.

Those cover some common questions around Peacock Premium vs Premium Plus capabilities. But feel free to reach out if any other questions come to mind!

Final Verdict: Which Plan Should You Choose?

So after comparing features, content libraries, pricing, and more between Peacock plans – which is the better option: Premium or Premium Plus?

For most subscribers, I recommend upgrading to Premium Plus over base Premium.

The main selling point is streaming virtually the entire Peacock catalog without ads. Premium serves over 1 ad per hour watched – that adds up fast. So paying extra each month to eliminate commercials is worthwhile in my opinion.

Combine that ad-free experience with useful offline downloads, 4K HDR, early access to new releases, and live local NBC… Premium Plus provides the full, optimized Peacock package.

Assuming you watch a few hours weekly, going from $5 to $10 monthly is reasonable for what you gain. Yes, regular Premium works fine for casual viewers on a tight budget. But if Peacock will be more than just a backup option, Premium Plus is the way to go.

The only case where basic Premium makes more sense is for light, very ad-tolerant viewers. If ads are no concern and you won‘t use the extra features, saving $5 per month on Premium adds up yearly.

But again, Premium Plus is worth the step up for most active streamers – delivering the smoothest viewing experience thanks to minimal ads and helpful perks like offline downloads.

Visit PeacockTV.com now to compare plans and start watching! Feel free to reach out with any other questions.