Peacock just turned profitable for the first time, and the reward for subscribers is another price hike, making this the fourth increase since the service launched in 2020. Yes, this is yet another story about yet another price hike for subscription services (ugh). And this is right on the heels of the announcement that NBCUniversal is bundling Peacock into YouTube Premium.
Peacock has, honestly, done a good job of growing its subscriber base with the FIFA World Cup and the show “Love Island” (which one of my daughters loves). But they also pissed off a lot of people back in 2024 when they put an NFL playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins behind a paywall. The only way to watch the wildcard game was 1) to be a local viewer in Kansas City or Miami, or 2) to pay to view the game. Lots of unhappy people as a result of that action.
Yet somehow, Peacock has continued to push forward, become profitable, and raise prices. I guess this is the sign of the times.