Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming arm, is bumping up subscription costs across the board, with its ad‑supported Premium tier jumping from $7.99 to $10.99 per month, and the ad‑free Premium Plus plan climbing from $13.99 to $16.99 per month. The rise takes effect for new subscribers on July 23, 2025, while existing customers will see the change reflected in invoices on or after August 22, depending on their billing cycle.

For users who opt into an annual commitment, Peacock’s Premium plan will now carry a $109.99 yearly fee (up from $79.99), and Premium Plus will cost $169.99 per year (up from $139.99). Those sticker‑shock numbers translate to roughly $9.17 per month for Premium and about $14.17 per month for Premium Plus—a modest discount relative to the new monthly rates but still substantially higher than last year’s prices.

This isn’t Peacock’s first rodeo raising rates. In the summer of 2024, ahead of its exclusive coverage of the Paris Olympics, the platform instituted a $2 increase across its Premium and Premium Plus offerings. NBCUniversal justified that adjustment by pointing to ballooning content costs—particularly the multi‑billion‑dollar price tag of live sports rights—and the need to fund an ever‑expanding library of originals.

NBCU has poured resources into original series like Poker Face, Love Island USA, and Dr. Death, hoping to distinguish Peacock in an increasingly crowded streaming marketplace. Later this year, the service will also debut exclusive NBA game streams as part of its new 11‑year, $2.45 billion‑per‑year basketball deal, giving it a credible foothold in live sports alongside its cable‑network simulcasts.

As of Q1 2025, Peacock reported 41 million paid subscribers—up from 36 million at the end of 2024. While impressive, these figures still lag behind heavyweight rivals, with Netflix boasting over 260 million global subscribers and Disney+ topping 150 million. Peacock’s growth trajectory underscores both the allure of bundled NBCUniversal content and the tougher road ahead in winning market share from entrenched competitors.

To sweeten the deal for budget‑conscious viewers, NBCU is piloting a new ad‑supported “Peacock Select” tier priced at $7.99 per month (or $79.99 per year). This stripped‑down package will offer programming from NBC and Bravo, along with a curated selection of library titles, but won’t include sports or most originals. It’s a nod to cord‑cutters who want more than the bare‑bones free tier—though the question remains whether the reduced catalog justifies the cost.

Consumers have grown wary of streaming price hikes. According to data from Hub Entertainment Research, nearly half of U.S. subscribers say they’re considering trimming one or more services in the next year due to rising costs. For Peacock watchers, that means the next few quarters will be a bellwether: can fresh sports rights and a bulked‑up originals slate convince viewers to stay, or will they churn in search of cheaper alternatives?.

This move also highlights a broader trend: nearly every major streamer has ratcheted up prices recently. Disney+ has rolled out incremental increases, HBO Max has revised its ad‑free premiums, and Netflix just announced another tier bump. In this environment, Peacock’s latest hike feels less like an outlier and more like part of an industry‑wide reset on what streaming really costs when you factor in premium content and live programming.

For now, casual viewers and power users alike will need to decide if Peacock’s growing content library and sports play are worth that extra three bucks each month—especially as streaming bills inch ever closer to your cable TV tab.