My Peacock Review (2026): Massive Content, Elite Sports, but Too Many Ads

Peacock Select is the service’s basic, ad-supported tier for $7.99/month, which only includes access to TV shows. Premium, at $10.99 per month, includes movies, originals, and live sports — a stunning value for just $3 more. Premium Plus is $16.99 per month and offers downloads for offline viewing. Although it advertises no ads, you’ll still experience ads while viewing live content or other titles due to specific sponsorships.

When comparing Peacock to its competitors, I am genuinely in awe at how it remains so affordable, even at its highest tier. Consider this: The average price for a premium movie ticket can be around $20. For only $16.99, you can access Peacock Premium Plus, which includes major releases from Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Focus Features all month long. As a bonus, you can view your region’s sporting events with the Regional Sports Network add-on for $14.95 per month, which can be applied to any plan. Peacock also offers an Apple TV bundle for Premium and Premium Plus subscribers, allowing you to catch up on popular Apple Originals like "Severance" or "Shrinking."

Peacock’s homepage is very intuitive. On the left-hand side, you will see tabs for Movies, TV Shows, Sports, and Channels to help narrow your options. Even from those categories, you’ll find many genres to scroll through and choices galore.

I enjoy the live channels for the days I can’t decide what to watch. Several channels are dedicated to a single series, airing back-to-back episodes in a traditional linear TV format. The 4K resolution definitely delivers if your device supports it, allowing me to see the scales on a dinosaur and the strands of hair on Mario’s mustache. Older content has either been restored in 4K or in HD.

The service clearly knows audiences want to jump straight into the action with several interactive features:

• One-click viewing: Hover over a title to start watching immediately without entering a separate menu.
• Seamless resuming: Your "Continue Watching" list plays instantly from where you left off.
• Live channels: For days when you can’t decide, channels air back-to-back episodes of a single series.
• Quick controls: Easily restart, toggle subtitles, change audio, or pull up the full episode list mid-stream.
• Curated clips: Searchable highlights, featuring gag reels, interviews, and behind-the-scenes moments.

The mobile and web versions are also easy to navigate. The picture quality is as crisp as my phone and laptop allow. On mobile, you can minimize your screen and continue watching while you browse your phone, allowing for maximum multitasking. The most standout feature exclusive on mobile is the selection of interactive Mini-Games, consisting of trivia, word games, and prediction games for sports and reality shows.

The most glaring drawback of Select and Premium plans is the excessive ad breaks, ranging from 15 to 200 seconds. Most movies begin with a 120-second ad, then remain ad-free. Other times, an ad will pop up halfway through a movie. Even sports replays can have 10 to over 20 ads. Another frustration is the lack of a clear “Leaving Soon” section on the homepage. You can only access a list through this site. If a title is leaving, it will display the exact date. However, this can be inconsistent, with some titles on the “Leaving Soon” list not showing any date at all.

I do not exaggerate when I say that Peacock offers a diverse selection of content that will appeal to most demographics. Here is a layout:

• Collection of animated works from DreamWorks Animation and Illumination, such as "Shrek," "How to Train Your Dragon," "Despicable Me," and "The Super Mario Bros Movie"
• Films by Universal Pictures and Focus Features are available as early as 45 days after their original theatrical release (Keep in mind: Although Peacock is the go-to for Universal and Focus Feature movies, they can still leave and go to other streaming services for a limited time due to licensing deals)
• Official home of Bravo’s lineup of reality TV, such as "The Real Housewives," extended and uncensored exclusively on Peacock
• Classic NBC shows such as "Law and Order," "Saturday Night Live," and "The Office," including Peacock’s exclusive extended version of the series: "The Office: Superfan Episodes"
• Retro TV shows like "Baywatch," "Sanford and Son," and "Little House on the Prairie"
• Spanish-speaking content via partnership with Univision and Telemundo
• Peacock Originals, spanning from raunchy comedies like "Ted," chaotic thrillers like "Twisted Metal," and the exciting Emmy winner "The Traitors"

This is only a small taste of what Peacock has to offer. There are constant updates, like next-day access to new episodes of NBC and Bravo shows and weekly episodes of Peacock Originals throughout the month.

I was surprised by the depth of Peacock’s live sports coverage. Peacock doesn’t just livestream the Olympics; it has a dedicated hub.

You can view the current livestream along with replays, highlights, and courtside live angles. If you start a livestream late, you are able to rewind up to two hours. For select sports, there are timestamps for highlights. Beyond the Olympics, Peacock also includes NBA, NFL, and MLB networks. During off-seasons, you can watch highlight videos, and some sports even provide replays of past games. The NBA even has a Performance View that augments the game by displaying enhanced stat overlays to elevate the viewing experience. Compared to other services, Peacock seems the most ideal for sports fans.