Q. I’m interested in the new Peacock streaming service that’s coming up. But do you know if it will be available on Roku or Fire TV? I have both on different TVs and I wouldn’t get it unless it was on one of them. — Frankie, Cumberland, Maryland.
Frankie, let me first offer some background on Peacock for those unfamiliar with it.
Peacock, a new streaming service from NBC Universal, which is owned by Comcast, is scheduled to launch to all consumers this Wednesday, July 15. (Peacock’s premium plan is already available at no extra cost to Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex subscribers.)
Peacock Premium, which will cost $4.99 a month while a no-ads edition will cost $9.99 a month. features more than 15,000 hours of current and classic TV shows such as Law & Order: SVU, 30 Rock (pictured above) and Friday Night Lights as well as movies such as Jurassic Park, Psycho, E.T. and Ray.
There’s also kids shows such as Curious George, Where’s Waldo? and Cleopatra in Space, and Comcast is also promising live sports (when they return), original programming, early access to NBC late night shows such as Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, and news updates, too.
There will also be a free version of Premium featuring more than 7,500 hours of movies and shows.
But will you be able to watch Peacock Free or Premium on Roku and Amazon’s Fire TV, you ask?
You will be able to watch Peacock free or premium on mobile devices, computers and laptops, and many streaming devices. But as of today, Roku and Fire TV are not on the list. Like AT&T’s HBO Max, Comcast and NBC Universal are having difficulty meeting Roku and Amazon’s carriage demands.
Update: Peacock and Roku sign carriage deal.
What are those carriage demands? We don’t know for sure because the parties aren’t offering specifics. But the odds are good that the points of contention are the same as in the HBO Max dispute. And that disagreement has already lasted more than six weeks, after HBO Max’s launch, which should tell you that it may be awhile before you see Peacock on your favorite devices.
If you’re still interested in Peacock, here’s where you will be able to watch it:
Android mobile devices
Android TV
Apple TV 4K
Apple TV HD
Chromecast
Comcast’s Xfinity X1
Comcast’s Xfinity Flex
iPad
iPhone
iPod touch
LG Smart TVs
Xbox One S
Xbox One X
Vizio SmartCast TVs
Frankie, hope that helps. Happy viewing, and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@swanniontv