Everything you need to know about Peacock before you subscribe for this weekend's NFL Wild Card game

Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs will be facing the Miami Dolphins this weekend in an NFL Wild Card game you can only watch on Peacock. / Credit: Ryan Kang / Getty Images

Whether you’re an NFL football fan or a savvy comedy fan looking to rewatch “The Office”, chances are you’re hearing a lot about NBC/Universal’s streaming service Peacock right now. That’s because one of the biggest NFL matchups of the season, the Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs Super Wild Card Weekend game will air exclusively on Peacock. Or maybe you’ve been reading up on the new dating show “Couple to Throuple,” or the Golden Globe-winning reality sensation “The Traitors”?

In short, there’s a lot of quality content that you can only view on Peacock. Here’s what you need to know about the streaming service before you subscribe.

What is Peacock?

Peacock is a streaming service brought to you by NBC/Universal. Peacock offers subscribers live streaming access to NFL games that air on NBC, Big Ten football, Premier League soccer and WWE wrestling (including formerly PPV-only events such as Wrestlemania). The streamer hosts 80,000 hours worth of recorded content to watch as well, including hit movies and TV series such as “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.”

Top features of Peacock:

• Peacock airs NFL matchups airing live on NBC (that’s Sunday Night Football and special NFL regular season and special NFL playoff Saturday games).
• Peacock features plenty of current and classic NBC and Bravo TV shows.
• Subscribers get access to Peacock’s massive library of recorded content, plus Peacock originals including “Poker Face” and “Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip”.

How much does Peacock cost?

Peacock offers two subscription tiers. Peacock Premium, the streamer’s most popular plan, regularly costs $6 per month (or $60 for an annual subscription). Peacock is currently offering a deal for new customers: You can save 50% on your first year of Peacock Premium.

Get one year of Peacock for $30 (you’ll pay the annual rate of $60 after the term expires). That’s about $2.50 per month for your first year of Peacock Premium.

Peacock Premium Plus is a terrific alternative for viewers who want to watch without ads. A subscription to Peacock Premium Plus is $11.99 per month (or pay $119.99 for the year and save 17%).

Peacock Premium vs. Peacock Premium Plus: How to choose a plan

Now that you know how to save on Peacock, it’s important to know which plan to choose. Peacock Premium is the streamer’s most popular subscription tier. Use code ” PEACOCK2024″ when subscribing.

With Peacock Premium, you’ll get:

• Stream 80,000+ hours of the best in TV, movies, and sports including NFL Sunday Night Football, exclusive NFL games airing only on Peacock, every season of the hit NBC sitcom “The Office”, top-tier sports content and more.
• Peacock originals like “The Traitors” and “Dr. Death” 
• Current NBC and Bravo programming.

Level up to Peacock Premium Plus and you’ll get:

• Everything included in Peacock Premium.
• No ads (with some exclusions).
• Select titles can be downloaded and watched offline (terrific for travelers).
• Your can stream your local NBC affiliate, 24/7.

Students save 67% on Peacock

In addition to Peacock’s steep discount on its Premium plan, students can also save even more on Peacock. Get Peacock Premium for $1.99 per month for 12 months and watch the Peacock exclusive Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs game on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT), plus all the terrific NBC and Bravo comedies, sports and reality shows now streaming on Peacock.

You’ll need an annual student verification to take advantage of this A+ student discount.

What are the best shows on Peacock?

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There’s no shortage of great shows to watch on Peacock. If you’re not sure on where to get started, here are a few of our top picks, including a selection of new releases.

• The Traitors (Season 2): Similar to the party game “Mafia,” this reality TV competition show separates contestants into two groups: Faithfuls and Traitors. To win the prize, the Faithfuls must discover the identities of the traitors and vote them out of the game before they themselves are eliminated. Season 2 contestants include reality TV superstars Parvati Shallow (“Survivor”), Dan Gheesling (“Big Brother”) and Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio (“The Challenge”). It premieres Jan. 12, 2024.
• Dr. Death: Cutthroat Conman: This Peacock documentary follows the life of doctor Paolo Macchiarini, a surgeon who gained fame for his revolutionary and near miraculous organ transplants. But the supposed successes were a lie.
• The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy: Watch some of the most iconic Real Housewives return for a trip to St. Barths that’s sure to be filled with plenty of fights and drama. Luann de Lesseps, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan, Ramona Singer, Kelly Killoren Bensimon and Kristen Taekman star.
• Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie: Tony Shalhoub reprises his role as OCD-stricken investigator Monk as he tries to get his stepdaughter (Caitlin McGee) out of a jam.
• The Office: It’s hard to go wrong with a rewatch of the classic NBC sitcom “The Office,” Starring Steve Carrell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson and a cast of now-ubiquitous stars, the mocumentary comedy makes us laugh, cry and — yes — cringe harder than we’ve ever cringed.

How to watch Peacock

With a Peacock subscription, you’ll have the freedom to watch your favorite sports, TV shows and movies when and how you want, on the device of your choice. You can download the Peacock app on your phone or download the Peacock app to your Smart TV. Peacock is also supported on Fire TV and Fire TV devices, Apple TV, Roku, and major video gaming consoles, including the PS5 and new Meta VR device.

You can also watch Peacock content on Peacock.com.

How to watch NFL Wild Card Weekend on Peacock

The NFL playoffs begin this weekend with a supersized Super Wild Card Weekend. Two of the three games streaming on Peacock will also air on NBC, but the Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs game will air exclusively on Peacock. The NFL games streaming this weekend on Peacock are:

Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024

• Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans, 4:30 p.m ET (NBC, Peacock)
• Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 8:00 p.m. ET (Peacock exlcusively)

Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024

• Los Angeles Rams vs. Detroit Lions, 8:00 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)

Can I cancel Peacock after watching the Dolphins vs. Chiefs game?

There are no long-term contracts with Peacock, so you can unsubscribe at any time.