Why Did Peacock Just Raise Prices?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.

 

TV Answer Man, why did Peacock raise its prices? There are a lot of streaming services we can get so you would think they would keep prices where they are or we will subscribe to someone else! – Karen, Ashburn, Virginia.

 

Karen, you’re right. Peacock, the NBCUniversal operated streaming service, has raised the price of its Premium Plus plan from $13.99 a month to $16.99 a month. The Premium plan, which was $7.99 a month, is now $10.99 a month.

 

Peacock also introduced a new plan, called Select, which is $7.99 a month. The biggest difference in the three plans is that the Premium and Premium Plus plans include live sports from NBC while Select does not. Premium Plus also has no ads while Premium and Select do.

 

Why did Peacock raise its prices?
There are two major reasons why Peacock raised its prices.

 

1. The streamer is still losing money.
   Peacock, which is owned by Comcast, has lost billions of dollars since its launch in 2020. While it has trimmed the deficits in the last year or so, the losses continue to mount with $348 million lost in the second quarter of this year. Comcast is hoping the price increase will help bridge the gap.
2. Peacock (and NBC) will add exclusive NBA games in October on Monday and Tuesday nights. (Peacock and NBC will air games on Tuesdays while Peacock will have the games exclusively on Mondays.)
   By raising the price of the Premium plan (the minimum package which includes live sports) to $13.99 a month, the streamer could significantly increase subscription revenue starting this fall.

 

Of course, the risk here is that viewers weary of rising TV bills will decide to eliminate Peacock altogether. Will that happen? I think some will drop now but hoops fans who do will likely come back in October.

 

Karen, I hope that answers your question. Happy viewing and stay safe!

 

Have a Question? Ask The TV Answer Man!
Have a question about a favorite show, streaming service or new TV product? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.

 

Who Is The TV Answer Man?
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered television for morthan three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch TV. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.