A promotion that gave Cox television and Internet customers free access to the premium tier of Comcast’s streaming service Peacock has come to an end.
Since it launched in April 2020, Comcast has allowed Cox customers to access Peacock’s premium tier for free, which offers the streamer’s full catalog of hit movies and television shows, including those from NBC, Dreamworks, Universal Pictures, Bravo and NBC News.
The move comes at a time when Comcast executives are weighing promotions for Peacock now that the streaming service has reached a maturity point. The service has grown to more than 18 million global paying customers, who plunk down between $5 and $10 a month for the service (the more-expensive tier doesn’t have commercial interruptions across most on-demand content) — but some Comcast Xfinity customers continue to get free access to Peacock’s premium tier if they have a certain Internet or TV package and associated Comcast-leased hardware.
In June, NBC Universal CEO Jeffrey Schell said Comcast might eventually walk back its free Peacock Premium promotion for Xfinity customers in the future as it eyes additional growth. But he affirmed that, at least for the time being, giving those customers free access to Peacock was a benefit in retaining subscribers to various Xfinity services.
What might be true for Comcast customers in the future has come true for Cox customers now, and it will be interesting to see what effect the end of Comcast’s deal with Cox will have on Peacock’s subscriber count when Comcast reports earnings in two months.
