In not ideal news, Comcast's Peacock will raise its monthly plan prices by $3 starting on July 23 for new subscribers.
Peacock Premium subscribers will see their monthly rate rise from $7.99 to $10.99. Meanwhile, Premium Plus members can enjoy ad-free content for the new price of $16.99 per month, up from $13.99. If you already have a plan, the price change will be effective around August 22 or whenever your August renewal is.
Annual billers will also notice a substantial increase in costs. Both annual plans will raise $30, bringing Peacock Premium to $109.99 and Premium Plus to $169.99.
So, this begs the question: Is Peacock still worth the money? And are there ways around paying these higher rates?
Here's what Peacock offers
I've had Peacock for years since it houses a lot of diverse content from original NBC and Bravo shows, such as "Love Island USA" and the Real Housewives series, to Premier League matches. The platform is clean, easy to use and includes new movie releases.
The service is also user-friendly for streaming movies if you have the ad-supported plan. It used to be they would play about three minutes of commercials up front, then you had your movie ad-free.
Unfortunately, they caught on, adding a three-minute commercial break in the middle of the movie. That said, it's still better than many ad-supported streaming services, where you encounter frequent ad breaks.
The service is also a smart buy for casual sports fans. Select NBA, NFL and college sports air on the platform, as do soccer matches, NASCAR and golf tournaments. And if you're a WWE fan, you can stream premium live events.
Is Peacock a good value with the price increase?
It depends on your viewing habits and budget. If you enjoy NBC and Bravo shows, then the extra costs could be worth it, since you can stream new episodes of current shows the day after they air. It makes it less expensive than any live-streaming app.
However, for my home, better options exist. The Hulu and Disney Plus bundle is $10.99 per month for ad-supported versions of each plan, and offers a much more diverse lineup of shows, documentaries and movies, making it a better overall deal for us.
HBO Max also has tremendous value now, when compared to Peacock. HBO Max's ad-supported plan is $9.99 and includes original HBO content, TCM and a larger library than Peacock. Therefore, there are options out there that are less expensive and offer more content.
How to save on a Peacock subscription
If you're still interested in Peacock, buying the annual subscription is one of the best ways to save money, as the discount equates to only paying for 10 months of service. The ad-supported Premium Plan is $79.99 annually, while the Premium Plus plan is $139.99.
Another tip is to wait until around Black Friday, when streaming providers offer deals. Peacock has offered exceptional deals in the past, where its annual ad-supported plan was $19.99.
You can also earn Peacock for free if you're an Instacart Plus member or subscribe to Xfinity Now TV. And if you're a new subscriber, you can try the service for free for seven days, giving you time to determine if it's the right fit for you.
Overall, Peacock's price hike is significant, making its ad-supported plan more expensive than Netflix, Hulu and HBO Max, which is why I'm dropping it. However, if you enjoy streaming NBC and Bravo content and select sports, this service could still be a good value.
Buy the annual subscription, as it will save you 17%, or wait until Black Friday to see what kind of deal Comcast cooks up.
