Peacock Premium Plus launches on Prime Video as streaming costs rise

Amazon Prime Video customers can now subscribe to Peacock Premium Plus directly through their existing streaming app as part of an expanded partnership between Amazon and NBCUniversal, announced on August 28, 2025.

Peacock Premium Plus, NBCUniversal's ad-free streaming tier, costs $16.99 per month or $169.99 annually for Prime Video customers. The service offers thousands of hours of on-demand entertainment, news, and sports content while providing the ability to download select content for offline viewing and includes access to live, local NBC channels.

The launch arrives at a time when Peacock faces scrutiny from subscribers following changes to its pricing structure. According to information from Reddit discussions, NBCUniversal discontinued the ability to add Premium Plus ad-free service as a monthly add-on to existing promotional Premium subscriptions in recent months. Previously, customers who purchased discounted annual Premium plans could pay an additional $6 monthly for ad-free viewing. This option has been eliminated, forcing customers to choose between watching ads or paying the full annual Premium Plus price.

Customer complaints detail the impact of these changes. Many subscribers report being unable to upgrade their promotional Premium subscriptions to ad-free viewing without forfeiting their existing discounted pricing. One customer described receiving a "failed to bill" notification, later discovering that NBCUniversal had ended the Premium Plus add-on option. "They pulled the same thing with me. Nothing was wrong with my card. They ended premium plus on every one," according to a Reddit user discussing the change.

The new availability through Prime Video provides an alternative pathway for accessing Peacock Premium Plus without these constraints. Prime members can subscribe directly through Prime Video without downloading a separate app, joining the platform's collection of more than 100 subscription options in the United States.

Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, emphasized the strategic value of the partnership. "At Amazon, we are always working to make customers' lives better every day and these new agreements with Comcast NBCU are fantastic for millions of customers, who are looking for the fastest and easiest way to find all their entertainment and sports in one place," Hopkins stated.

The partnership extends beyond Peacock availability. The Peacock app will continue operating on Fire TV devices, while Universal Pictures Home Entertainment releases remain available for purchase and rental through Prime Video. Titles include Jurassic World Rebirth and How to Train Your Dragon, as well as recent animated comedy-adventure The Bad Guys 2.

Xfinity X1 and Xumo customers will maintain seamless access to Prime Video, including voice search capabilities through Xfinity Voice Remote. This comprehensive agreement deepens the working relationship between Amazon and Comcast NBCUniversal while expanding distribution for both companies' services.

The timing coincides with broader streaming industry changes affecting pricing and subscriber retention. According to Reddit users discussing Peacock's policy changes, the elimination of flexible pricing options has led to subscriber cancellations. "What a STUPID decision on Peacock's part," wrote one user, while another noted they would "leave in DROVES because of it."

Peacock's current structure offers four service tiers: Free, Select, Premium, and Premium Plus. The Premium tiers are subscription-based and include Peacock's full library of content, while Free and Select tiers contain a subset of content. Free, Select and Premium tiers include advertising, with commercials limited to five minutes per hour.

In July 2025, NBCUniversal announced price increases for Peacock, raising Premium to $10.99 per month and Premium Plus to $16.99 per month. The company also introduced a new Select tier at $7.99 per month with a subset of content, including library programming and current NBC and Bravo shows, but excluding live sports content.

The service has grown to 41 million paid subscribers as of January 2025, according to IBC reporting. This growth has been supported by exclusive content including NFL games, Olympic coverage, and WWE programming, though WWE content will move to ESPN's direct-to-consumer streaming service in September 2025.

Prime Video's strategy of aggregating multiple streaming services addresses the challenge of subscription fatigue affecting the industry. Recent data indicates that connected TV advertising spending is projected to reach $33.35 billion in 2025, driven partly by streaming platforms competing on pricing and enhanced targeting capabilities.

The partnership furthers Prime Video's goal of becoming a comprehensive entertainment hub where customers can customize their streaming experience while accessing content from multiple providers. This approach benefits from Amazon's extensive reach through Prime delivery services and its ability to maintain customers within its ecosystem.

For the marketing community, this development highlights several key trends. The streaming industry faces ongoing challenges with pricing strategy and customer retention as platforms balance subscription revenue with advertising income. Companies like Amazon leverage their broader ecosystem advantages to create competitive moats through convenience and integration.

The consolidation of streaming access through platforms like Prime Video may provide advertising benefits by reducing audience fragmentation across multiple apps and billing relationships. CTV campaign planning has shown that viewer concentration patterns remain consistent across major streaming services, making content identification more important than platform selection for advertising effectiveness.

Amazon's approach also demonstrates the value of first-party data integration for streaming advertising. Prime Video's integration with Amazon's commerce data enables sophisticated targeting capabilities that extend beyond traditional viewing metrics to include shopping behavior and purchase intent signals.

The development occurs as streaming services face increased competition and pricing pressures. Amazon's entry into ad-supported streaming earlier in 2024 contributed to significant cost per thousand (CPM) rate decreases across major platforms, with Netflix and Disney+ experiencing reductions of 26.3% and 27.6% respectively.

Timeline

• July 15, 2020: Peacock launches nationally with free, Premium, and Premium Plus tiers
• January 2023: NBCUniversal discontinues free tier for new customers
• July 2025: NBCUniversal raises Peacock prices by approximately $3, introduces new Select tier
• August 28, 2025: Amazon announces Peacock Premium Plus availability through Prime Video
• Related developments: Amazon phases out Freevee integration into Prime Video, NBA coverage begins October 2025, AI-powered content discovery launches in beta

Summary

Who: Amazon Prime Video customers, NBCUniversal, Comcast, and Mike Hopkins (head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios)

What: Launch of Peacock Premium Plus as a subscription add-on service through Prime Video, priced at $16.99 monthly or $169.99 annually, providing ad-free access to NBCUniversal content including entertainment, news, and sports programming

When: Announced August 28, 2025, following NBCUniversal's July 2025 price increases and the elimination of flexible Premium Plus add-on options for existing promotional subscribers

Where: United States through Prime Video platform, with plans for future international expansion

Why: To streamline viewing experiences, expand Prime Video's subscription offerings to over 100 options, and provide customers easier access to content from multiple providers while addressing subscriber concerns about Peacock's recent pricing structure changes

PPC Land explains

Prime Video

Amazon's flagship streaming service has transformed from a simple video platform into a comprehensive entertainment ecosystem. Prime Video operates under a unique business model that combines streaming services with broader Amazon Prime membership benefits, creating different audience engagement patterns compared to standalone platforms. The service integrates with Amazon's e-commerce ecosystem, providing additional data sources for understanding audience behavior beyond pure viewing metrics. This integration enables sophisticated advertising capabilities that leverage retail data for enhanced targeting precision, making Prime Video a powerful platform for advertisers seeking to connect streaming engagement with purchase intent data.

Peacock Premium Plus

NBCUniversal's ad-free streaming tier represents the premium offering within Peacock's four-tier service structure. Premium Plus provides access to the full content library without commercial interruptions, along with additional features including offline download capabilities for select content and live access to local NBC stations. The service has become central to NBCUniversal's streaming strategy, though recent policy changes eliminating flexible add-on pricing have created subscriber friction. The tier's positioning at $16.99 monthly reflects the broader industry trend toward premium pricing for ad-free experiences as streaming platforms balance subscription revenue with advertising income.

Streaming Services

Digital platforms that deliver video content over internet connections have fundamentally reshaped media consumption patterns and advertising strategies. These services compete not only on content quality and pricing but also through enhanced targeting capabilities and improved ad formats. The streaming landscape has become increasingly fragmented, with viewers maintaining multiple subscriptions simultaneously, creating both opportunities and challenges for advertisers seeking comprehensive reach. Streaming services have evolved into primary destinations for video advertising investment as traditional television viewership declines and connected device adoption accelerates across demographic segments.

NBCUniversal

The media conglomerate operates Peacock as part of its broader content distribution strategy, leveraging established television programming, sports content, and original productions. NBCUniversal's approach to streaming emphasizes integration with its existing media properties, including NBC's broadcast network, cable channels like Bravo and USA Network, and sports programming through NBC Sports. The company's content strategy focuses on premium original productions alongside selective licensing of high-profile international content, differentiating from competitors' volume-based approaches through fewer, higher-budget productions designed to drive platform engagement and subscription growth.

Amazon

The technology giant's expansion into streaming represents a strategic diversification beyond e-commerce into entertainment and advertising. Amazon's competitive advantage in streaming stems from its extensive reach through Prime delivery services and its ability to maintain customers within its integrated ecosystem. The company leverages its vast customer data and AI capabilities to enhance viewing experiences through personalized recommendations, enhanced statistics integration, and multiview options. Amazon's approach to streaming emphasizes aggregation and convenience, positioning Prime Video as a central hub for multiple streaming services rather than solely competing on exclusive content.

Subscription

The recurring payment model has become the dominant monetization strategy across streaming platforms, though implementations vary significantly in complexity and flexibility. Subscription structures range from simple monthly fees to complex multi-tier systems offering different content libraries, advertising experiences, and premium features. The model's effectiveness depends on perceived value delivery, content quality, and pricing relative to alternatives. Recent industry trends show increasing experimentation with hybrid models combining subscription fees with advertising revenue, as platforms seek to optimize both customer acquisition costs and lifetime value metrics.

Advertising

The integration of advertising into streaming platforms has transformed both content consumption and marketing strategies. Streaming advertising offers sophisticated targeting capabilities unavailable in traditional television, including demographic targeting, behavioral analysis, and cross-platform measurement. The advertising ecosystem within streaming services encompasses traditional video advertisements, sponsored content, and contextual placements aligned with viewer behavior patterns. Recent market developments show significant pricing pressure as new entrants increase inventory supply, benefiting advertisers through reduced costs while challenging platforms to maintain revenue growth.

Content

The programming available through streaming platforms encompasses original productions, licensed library content, live sports, news programming, and specialized channels. Content strategy directly impacts subscriber acquisition, retention, and advertising effectiveness. Platforms differentiate through exclusive productions, early release windows, and specialized programming targeting specific demographic segments. Content concentration patterns show that despite vast libraries, viewing typically focuses on a small percentage of available programming, influencing both content investment decisions and advertising placement strategies across streaming services.

Pricing

The cost structure of streaming services has become increasingly complex, with platforms experimenting with multiple tiers, promotional offers, and dynamic pricing strategies. Pricing decisions must balance subscriber growth objectives with revenue optimization while considering competitive positioning and perceived value delivery. Recent industry trends show upward pressure on subscription costs as platforms invest in premium content and enhanced features. However, advertising-supported tiers provide alternative pricing strategies that can expand market reach while generating additional revenue streams through commercial inventory sales.

Partnership

Strategic alliances between streaming platforms, content creators, and technology companies have become essential for competitive positioning and market expansion. These collaborations enable content sharing, technical integration, marketing synergies, and expanded distribution reach. Partnership structures vary from simple content licensing agreements to complex revenue-sharing arrangements and joint venture formations. The Amazon-NBCUniversal partnership exemplifies how strategic alliances can benefit both parties through expanded customer access, enhanced service offerings, and operational efficiencies that neither company could achieve independently.