Comcast will offer its Xfinity video and Internet customers a discount on the premium tier of Peacock when its free access to the streaming service ends in June, The Desk has learned.
For three years, Xfinity subscribers have been able to access Peacock Premium for free with their service, as long as they had an eligible X1-powered device or Flex streaming TV box on their account. That freebie will end on June 26 when Comcast ends the giveaway for its Xfinity customers.
According to materials seen by The Desk, Comcast will allow eligible Xfinity customers to re-subscribe to Peacock Premium for $3 a month, a discount from the normal rate of $5 a month. To get the discount, Xfinity customers must say the word “Peacock” into their voice-powered remotes, then re-subscribe to Peacock Premium at the lower rate.
The deal will be available to eligible Xfinity voice and Internet customers starting June 26. Customers must re-subscribe to Peacock by August 25 to get the discount. The $3 a month rate will last for 12 months, though Comcast may extend it beyond a year, depending on the success of the program.
A select few Comcast customers will be eligible to receive Peacock Premium for free after June 26. Subscribers who are enrolled in Xfinity Rewards and have reached the Diamond or Platinum tiers will be allowed to redeem their rewards for free access to Peacock Premium. It was not clear from marketing materials reviewed by The Desk how long those customers will have access to Peacock Premium as part of their service.
Customers who don’t re-subscribe to Peacock Premium will get limited access to Peacock programming as part of a special free tier offered to Xfinity subscribers. The free tier will unlock a “sampling…of shows and movies on demand, as well as a collection of channels,” Comcast said. The first episodes of Peacock’s original programs will be included in the free tier, as will some new NBC series that debut throughout the year.
New and current customers of Peacock Premium always have the option to upgrade their account to Peacock Premium Plus, which removes advertisements from most on-demand TV shows and movies, and unlocks a live stream of a customer’s local NBC affiliate.
Comcast says Peacock has around 22 million paying subscribers.
