Peacock just raised prices again — here's how it stacks up against Netflix, Paramount+ and more

It feels like just last year we were talking about a Peacock price hike. And that's because last year ... we were talking about a Peacock price hike. But just over 12 months after Peacock raised its prices by $3, the streaming service has decided it hasn't taken enough.

Starting August 18 (today), prices for all Peacock plans are increasing by at least $1. Select is going up from $7.99 to $8.99 a month, while Premium is taking a $2 price bump to $12.99 a month. For those who want no ads, Premium Plus is jacked up by $3 to an eye-watering $19.99 monthly price.

If you are already a Peacock subscriber, you'll have some time before this hits your wallet, but not much. According to the streaming service, the new pricing will be effective on your next billing date on or after September 17, 2026. Those who are currently on promotional pricing will continue to receive Peacock at their promotional rate until the promotion expires.

Peacock says this move is to "remain competitive in the marketplace." But the timing certainly raises an eyebrow given Peacock just reported its first profitable quarter ever.

So let's put Peacock's claim to the test. Are its plans still competitive after this latest price hike? Or is it finally time to ditch Peacock now that it's lost its value? Here's our breakdown on Peacock vs. the best streaming services.

Peacock Select: Bravo and not much else for $9 a month

Peacock Select is a relatively new plan, and it's clearly aimed at the "Real Housewives" crowd. For $8.99 a month, you get access to TV shows from NBC, Bravo and other NBCUniversal/Versant networks.

And that's it. No originals, no movies, no live sports.

This plan was already questionable at $7.99. But at $8.99, it's downright offensive. For the same price, you can get Netflix (Standard with ads) and get almost everything Netflix offers, aside from a few movies that aren't allowed to be shown with ads. Live sports, Netflix originals — those are all included.

HBO Max admittedly cuts corners with its Basic with Ads plan. No live sports on this tier. But at $10.99 a month, you still get HBO's full library and new releases from Warner Bros. Discovery. It's still a better value than Peacock Select by a country mile. Meanwhile, Paramount+ Essential costs just $8.99 a month and basically only removes select Showtime shows. If you want movies, Paramount+ originals and live sports, it's got you covered.

As for the rest of the competition? Prime Video has always been a great value at $0 a month, provided you have an Amazon Prime subscription. But even at $8.99 a month, it gives you live sports, a full movie library and tons of shows for the same price as Peacock Select. Disney+ and Hulu are the most expensive competitors at $11.99 a month, but for $12.99 a month you get both, which is great value. Regardless, at this tier, both Disney+ and Hulu give you full libraries, just with ads.

Verdict: Peacock Select was always questionable value. But at $8.99 a month, it's the worst streaming service in the entry-level tier.

Peacock Premium: Still great for sports fans, but its value takes a hit

Peacock Premium is now the middle tier for Peacock after the creation of Select last year. Setting aside price, it's a great offering. You get a deep library of NBCUniversal and Versant (Bravo, MSNow, etc.) shows, as well as "Yellowstone." You also get the full Peacock movie library, live sports and eventually new Universal Studios movies when they debut on streaming.

The problem is, now, you're paying $12.99 a month for it. And you still have to suffer through ads. For comparison, no other streaming service includes ads at this tier All the other ad-supported streaming plans are entry-level plans for Peacock's competitors.

Not every streaming service offers a middle tier as Peacock does. For example, Apple TV only offers one tier. At $12.99, it's the same price as Peacock Premium and has no ads. It also streams in 4K with support for HDR, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound, but only for its original content. It also only offers original content for the most part, though it does have live sports and a small selection of licensed movies.

As for those services that do offer a middle tier? Netflix Standard (no ads) costs $19.99 a month. HBO Max isn't much cheaper at $18.49 for its Standard plan. But it's worth noting that, in terms of content, you can get most of the same content on these streamers' entry-level tiers.

Verdict: Even with a price hike, Peacock Premium is still competitive with other mid-tier services. However, because it has ads, it's arguably competing with other streaming services' entry-level plans, and those might offer better value.

Peacock Premium Plus: Still a niche product

Here's the dirty secret: Peacock Premium Plus wasn't really worth it at $16.99. Yes, it allowed you to stream your local NBC channel, ditch the ads and download most shows and movies. But these features weren't necessarily worth an extra $6 a month, and most competitors offered downloads on their lower-tier plans. The only other streaming services to restrict downloads to their highest tier were Paramount+, which charged $3 a month less than Peacock, and Hulu, which admittedly was terrible value at $18.99 a month.

Now, with Peacock Premium Plus at $19.99 a month, it's providing even less value than before. Paramount+ Premium, the closest competitor in terms of price, features and size, is just $13.99 a month. That's a massive difference.

To its credit, Peacock Premium Plus isn't the most expensive service in this top tier. Both Netflix at $26.99 a month and HBO Max at $22.99 a month are more expensive. Like with other plans at this tier, the value in upgrading is debatable. Both HBO Max and Netflix reserve 4K streaming for their Premium plans. They'll also boost your audio quality, give you more downloads and let you watch in more places. But I'd argue none of that is worth the extra cash coming out of your wallet.

Disney+ Premium and Hulu Premium are both $1 less a month than Peacock Premium. Again, though, the benefits you get in these plans are questionable. The only benefits they provide over their cheaper versions are no ads, Dolby Atmos (for Disney+) and downloads (for Hulu).

Finally, Prime Video does technically offer a premium plan: Prime Video Ultra. It's $4.99 a month and gives you 4K streaming with Dolby Atmos support. But it's only available in the U.S.

Verdict: Arguably, most people should not sign up for plans in this highest tier. But if you are considering a streaming service's top tier, Peacock Premium Plus is better than some and worse than others.

Verdict: Peacock Premium is still worth considering, but skip Select

This latest Peacock price hike obviously doesn't help the streaming service look more appealing to anyone. But overall, Peacock Premium and Premium Plus are still competitive with the other streaming services in their respective tiers.

That said, Peacock Premium arguably competes more closely with entry-level offerings when it comes to features and catalogues. Compared to entry-level plans, Peacock Premium's value takes a major hit with this price hike. I couldn't recommend it over most entry-level plans or Apple TV, unless I needed Peacock for its live sports offering.

Speaking of entry-level plans, Peacock Select is a terrible value at $8.99. You should not subscribe to it. You should either pay extra for Premium or get a live TV streaming service that offers Bravo. Both will provide much better value, even if you'll pay more out of pocket.

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