As part of IGN’s State of Streaming event, we’re taking a fresh look at the major streaming services and what they offer subscribers in 2023.
Peacock launched as an underdog amid the streaming boom of 2020, but these days, it’s a real dark horse contender. Lack of access to the platform, a limited library, and problems with the user interface are in the past for the NBCUniversal-owned streamer. Thanks to an impressive TV catalog, wide range of programming, and some of the cheapest prices on the market, Peacock is going strong.
Peacock’s TV Shows and Movies
To really dig into the most important part of any streaming service we're going to be breaking this section down into four segments. First we'll be looking at the original programming each platform has to offer, then we're delving into their back catalog, next up will be any glaring omissions, and then finally anything that really stands out and makes the streamer unique.
Originals: 2023 has been a banner year for Peacock. It started strong with the Emmy-nominated throwback Poker Face, which was a big hit for the streamer. Since then there’s been Pete Davidson's autobiographical comedy Bupkis, Damon Lindelof's critically acclaimed prestige sci-fi series Mrs. Davis, the wildly popular reality show Traitors, and the recent big IP get of the Twisted Metal adaptation starring Anthony Mackie. This strong showing builds on a base of some really great, underrated series like the recent Fresh Prince and Saved by the Bell reboots, the fantastic British comedy We Are Lady Parts, and Sierra Teller Ornelas, Ed Helms, and Mike Schur's short-lived but brilliant sitcom Rutherford Falls. Peacock also offers users on its Peacock Premium and Peacock Premium Plus tiers the chance to watch live sporting events from the NFL, Premier League, and WWE.
Back catalog: Peacock has an engaging and regularly updated catalog of movies that is always fun to explore. Currently they have some awesome recent releases like Wes Anderson's Asteroid City and the action-comedy Polite Society. The streamer’s affiliation with Universal gives it a direct pipeline to big theatrical hits of the year, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The Halloween selection is looking pretty great with horror classics like The Birds, The Thing, and Psycho as well as contemporary faves including Get Out, the Saw movies, and Blumhouse's Halloween reboot. The service also boasts some major franchises like all eight Harry Potter movies (which it currently shares with Max), though it’s less consistent in this category: Hubs for the likes of The Fast and The Furious and Phantasm are missing some entries in the series.
One of the best things about the catalog is that Peacock isn't afraid of a B-movie, so there's plenty of older cult films as well as newer made-for-streaming genre stuff – perfect for the subscriber who’s looking to enjoy both Birdemic and a wide array of Hallmark movies.
Glaring omissions: It may seem at first that a Universal streamer would be incomplete without Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, or the studio’s classic movie monsters, but in 2023, the churn on streaming services is real and studios are getting out of the exclusivity business, earning money by licensing their franchises to other platforms. Taking that into account, it's not completely out of the ordinary for Peacock to not have these series – but it would add to the appeal of the service if it did.
Standout: An extensive collection of brilliant NBC TV shows in their entirety. The most obvious selling point here is The Office, which kept Netflix swimming in subscribers and viewing hours for years before the launch of Peacock. From that series’ mockumentary successor Parks and Recreation to the trailblazing Peter Falk howcatchem (and Poker Face influence) Columbo, the amount of quality television available to subscribers is impressive on all fronts. And of course if you're a fan of the sprawling Law & Order franchise that's here too.
Peacock’s User Interface
Despite a slightly annoying auto-play function, navigating the Peacock app is a relatively easy experience. It looks good, has a useful algorithm that directs you towards shows and movies you'll actually watch, and it rarely struggles to keep up with the user. Like many services, not everything on Peacock is available in 4K, but what is is available to both paying and non-paying users. And it doesn't hog your bandwidth no matter what quality you're watching, making it easy to stream multiple services on multiple devices at the same time.
The subtitle offerings are pretty basic and feel more like you're watching subtitles on a broadcast network rather than a streamer, but even then they’re usually well tracked and stay in sync with the dialogue in a way that some services’ don't. For the price, Peacock feels well built, easy to use, and relatively pleasant to navigate.
Peacock’s Price
Since we last reviewed Peacock, the streamer stopped offering its free tier to new users. So if you signed up for free Peacock before January 2023, congratulations: You can still access some of its library without paying NBCUniversal a dime. But if you’re signing up for Peacock now, or if you want to enjoy every season of The Office or more than one episode of Yellowstone, you'll have to commit to one of their paid tiers. That's not too much of a commitment though, as Peacock offers some of streaming’s lowest monthly charges.
The streamer's ad-supported tier, Peacock Premium, is only $5.99 a month – making it $2 dollars cheaper than Netflix's equivalent and almost $5 cheaper than Disney+’s and Max’s. This tier allows subscribers access to the entire Peacock catalog and live sports. It also takes advantage of one of the best Peacock features, which is the option to watch around two minutes of ads before a movie begins, leaving you to enjoy the movie without interruption. If you prefer a completely ad-free experience, then you'll want to sign up to Peacock Premium Plus, which features the entire catalog plus live local news and the ability to download programs for $11.99/month. That’s less than the current monthly average for streaming, and for what it includes and the regularity that Peacock adds to and changes its catalog, this is a great value.
