Peacock joins the many other streaming services, which provides access to hundreds of NBC television shows and universal films.
The parent company, Comcast, formally launched free and premium versions of Peacock on July 15. However, some of Comcast’s Internet and cable customers had had early access to the service from April.
Although Peacock was supposed to be introduced in parallel with the 2020 Olympic Games to provide a live stream for the Tokyo Summer Games, the key event had been postponed because of the Coronavirus. Nevertheless, NBC Universal succeeded in launching Peacock as planned despite the considerable disruption.
What is Peacock?
Peacock is NBCUniversal’s new premier video streaming service. You will find classic and current shows from NBCUniversal’s various broadcasting and cable networks together with movies from Universal Pictures, DreamWorks, and Focus Features.
Furthermore, the NBC Peacock TV app offers a series of exclusive new TV shows and movies for the service. New shows such as Brave New World and re-launches of classics including Battlestar Galactica and Saved by the Bell. (Find the Best Torrents That Work)
Matt Strauss, former head of Comcast’s Xfinity cable division, heads Peacock. His strategy is to assist the service in being competitive with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Peacock has two tiers, the most prominent being the free tier, which contains thousands of hours of content available for streaming, however with advertising. (Learn how to watch Hulu Australia)
Will Peacock be Available in Australia?
As a standalone product, there is no Peacock streaming Australia. It has recently signed a multi-year deal with Stan to be the home of NBCUniversal’s content in Australia.
How to Watch Peacock in Australia?
While there are two tiers for the Peacock arrival to the world of streaming services, the ad-supported Premium comes with a Premium Plus that costs an additional $5 per month for ad-free TV shows and movies. (Learn How To Watch Netflix Without A Smart TV)
You do have the option of the free tier and the standard premium tier that are ad-supported. The free version allows access to around 7,500 hours of NBC programming and includes older series, daily news, and movies.
You can also find some sports programming, Latino content and some samples of the Peacock Original programming. One drawback being it doesn’t offer content in 4K resolution.
Premium offers a full 4K and the entire library of content. The cost per month is $4.99, which makes it very affordable. It also comes with a 7-day free trial. Along with the highlight of the UK Premier League, there are around 15,000 hours.
Premium also includes late-night shows from Jimmy Fallon and Seth Myers, among other classics. Some of these receive a nightly airing, and you can find this in the TV guide if you select the Channels option in the menu. (Read Best Movie On Stan)
To access Peacock is straightforward once you have one of our recommended VPN providers in place. Without one and it will say the service isn’t available in your region.
Here are the steps to access Peacock in Australia
Signing up for VPN
- Head to the website of our recommended VPN provider
- Download and install the VPN client
- From the server list, connect to a Peacock compatible server (US-based server)
Once it has connected, you are ready to move on to the second part
Signing up for Peacock
- Navigate to peacock. tv to access the website (no VPN shows the ‘This service is unavailable in your region error)
- Select ‘Start Watching Now’
- Add your email address and a password, and then confirm the password
- Tick the terms of use box and click on ‘Create Account.’
To sign up for Premium, you select the signup option
Select PayPal and follow the on-screen instructions
Some of the premium content includes:
- Brave New World
- Hitmen
- Five Bedrooms
- Departure
- The Office – coming soon
- Punky Brewster
- Chicago Med
- Roseanne
Best VPN for Peacock
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a powerful VPN service that can unblock every major streaming service along with Peacock TV and include Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Go, iPlayer, and more.
With a network spanning 3,000+ servers optimised for streaming, it delivers fast buffer free content up to 4K resolution.
It runs on the broadest range of devices, Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Apple TV, browsers, and comes with the ExpressVPN MediaStreamer for use on devices with no app such as routers.
To test all the features, you can make use of ExpressVPN’s industry-leading 30-day money-back guarantee. Subscribers can connect up to 5 devices for simultaneous connections.
ExpressVPN also offers the best military-grade 256-bit AES encryption as well as other security features. (Read our ExpressVPN review)
2. Surfshark
Although a relative newcomer, Surfshark offers some of the most affordable prices while packing in features.
It offers subscribers unlimited device connections, so it is suitable for the most abundant families.
Surfshark may only have a small network of 1,700 servers, yet it can still deliver plenty of speed for buffer-free streaming on Peacock, BBC iPlayer, Netflix and Hulu, among others.
Along with great security features such as a kill switch and AES 256-bit encryption, an ad-blocker and malware scanner are included.
In addition, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee you can use to test all the features and performance risk-free. (Read our Surfshark review)
3. NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the most reliable and secure VPN services you can find. It uses some of the best security measures, so you do get unbreakable military-grade encryption.
For streaming, it uses a massive network of over 5,100 servers that can utilise the automatic SmartPlay feature, which helps get around geo-restrictions for reliable access to Peacock TV, Netflix, iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video and many others. (Read Watch The Order Online)
Speeds offer buffer-free streaming at the highest 4K resolution of Brave New World, and many more of the new shows from the Peacock streaming service.
NordVPN allows 6 simultaneous connections, which is more than enough for most, and it runs on a broad selection of devices and routers. Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, and browsers Chrome and Firefox have the full support while routers have a manual configuration.
NordVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee to test everything before committing. (Read our NordVPN review)
FAQ
How do I get the peacock channel?
The Peacock app will be available on Vizio, Apple TV, LG smart TVs, and various iOS and Android mobile devices, including Android TV, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Chromecast. In addition, you can access the service through their official website.
You will see that it is not possible to access Peacock on Roku or Amazon Fire devices. It is also not clear when or if there will be support for these devices.
What will be on Peacock free?
You can find masses of content on the free tier of Peacock. Here are some examples you can find among the thousands of hours available.
- 30 Rock
- Parks and recreation
- Downtown Abbey
- Law & Order Criminal Intent
- Parenthood
- This is Us
- Suits
- Psych
- Heroes – 4 seasons
- Manifest – 1 season
- Everybody Hates Chris
- Monk
- Ray Donovan
- Grace Under Fire
- 21 Jump Street
You also find many movies such as ET, Little Fockers, The Deer Hunter, The Bourne Identity, American Sniper and many more.
Besides this, there is a host of Kids, news, sports and Latino content available free to watch.
Can I use a Free VPN to Unblock Peacock?
Although it is technically possible to access Peacock with a free VPN, it is not advisable.
Such services are slow and unreliable; moreover, they can come with limited data.
It is known that free services deliberately limit speed, usage, bandwidth and server. In addition, some free VPNs log and sell your data, while others rely on popup ads to make money.
Does Peacock have live TV?
Currently, the Peacock service is structured, so it appears it comes with live TV. However, you can only access some live news and access live Premier League football for the most part. It is in the pipeline to change with streaming of the Olympics once they arrive in 2021. (Read Watching Channel 4 Live)
And Finally…
Peacock is trying to make a big splash, and it does have plenty to offer from its vast and varied library.
At the same time, you can sign up to access the latest shows
arriving over the next few months. You will find more than enough TV shows and new streaming options for anyone who uses the free tier.
Once you decide on the number one streaming VPN for Australia, you will quickly find you have the best of both to add to your streaming armoury.
It is easy to have the best streaming experience of some of the best movies and TV shows right in your living room.
