It looks like Comcast-owned NBCUniversal has decided to make Xfinity subscribers pay up for their streaming service, Peacock Premium. On June 26th, 2023, free access to the ad-supported plan will no longer be available. The change will require Xfinity subscribers to pay up for Peacock Premium, which normally costs $4.99 per month and is ad-supported. This change was first reported on Reddit and later confirmed by an NBCUniversal representative in Variety and The Streamable.
Xfinity customers previously enjoying free access to Peacock Premium must now prepare to pay for the streaming service. Although it is unclear how much this add-on will cost, a discounted version of Peacock will be available in place of the free subscription. Additionally, new Xfinity customers won’t even have a chance at getting free access as it has been discontinued starting April 3rd; instead, they can get six-month trials going forward.
The shutdown of the fully free tier of Peacock last month marked another step towards making its users pay up for their services. Before that, the agreement with Cox internet and cable customers was also ended in January, requiring them too to pay up for premium services if they wanted uninterrupted access to shows such as Yellowstone or The Office.
The decision has been met with mixed reactions from users who have taken advantage of the free service since its 2020 launch. On social media, many expressed disappointment over having to pay for a service that had previously been available at no extra cost. Others argued that it was inevitable, given how competitive the streaming market has become in recent years.
By changing their subscription model and acquiring exclusive titles, NBCUniversal hopes that more people would be willing to pay up to enjoy these premium experiences - something they believe is necessary given the ever-growing competition within the streaming industry today.
In conclusion, those wishing to continue watching content from channels like NBCU's own Peacock streaming platform need not worry too much about additional costs since there are discounted versions available plus six months trial periods being offered, meaning you don't have to commit just yet without knowing what kind of experience you'll get out of it before deciding whether or not it's worth investing more into!