What is Peacock on Sky?

Charlotte Whyatt • 24 Nov 2021 Guides

The US centric streaming service brings you hit comedies, popular reality shows and a handful of interesting originals.

Sky and NOW customers have had their options for quality entertainment expanded even further this month with the launch of Peacock. Read on to find out all about this new streaming service. 

What is Peacock?

Peacock is a streaming service created by US media giant NBCUniversal. Designed to compete with similar platforms like Netflix, it primarily carries acclaimed TV series from the NBC network along with a variety of films and live sporting events. 

How do I access Peacock?

Peacock launched here in the UK on 16th November and has been automatically integrated into your Sky TV service and the NOW Entertainment Membership. This means that you don’t need to get in contact with Sky to add Peacock onto your deal. 

From your Sky Q homepage, simply scroll down to the Apps heading on the left hand side and select Peacock. Alternatively, you can say “Peacock” into your remote’s microphone to use the voice search function to bring up its content. 

Those with the NOW Entertainment Membership, which can be purchased on a rolling contract for just £9.99 a month, should head into the Channels tab and select Peacock to see all of its content together in one place. If you already know what you want to watch, you can also search manually.

Do I have to pay for Peacock?

Peacock is completely free to all Sky Q, Sky+ and NOW Entertainment customers! You don’t need to pay an extra monthly subscription fee to access its content. 

What can I stream on Peacock?

Being the brainchild of NBCUniversal, Peacock is home to many of its popular comedy series like The Office US, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock and The Mindy Project. There’s plenty for reality TV fans to enjoy too with Keeping Up With The Kardashians, several iterations of The Real Housewives franchise and Below Deck. 

Peacock originals include a reboot of 90s teen comedy Saved by the Bell, charming sitcom Rutherford Falls, an adaptation of Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy novels and Joe Exotic, a dramatized retelling of the infamous Tiger King story starring Ghostbusters Kate McKinnon as Carole Baskins. 

Its film selection isn’t quite as up to date as Netflix’s and the like, with what’s available generally being quite a few years old. Peacock previously signed a deal with the WWE Network meaning you’ll be able catch major live events like Wrestlemania and SummerSlam as well as weekly content from NXT UK and 205 Live. 

Can I access Peacock on Sky Go?

Peacock is available on Sky Go so you can stream its content on different devices both in and out of the home. Starting on the homepage, you can find Peacock on Sky Go under the Channels headings. 

To download Peacock’s content for offline viewing you’ll need to purchase Sky Go Extra. Due to licensing restrictions, you won’t always be able to do this with every film and TV series. 

Will Peacock be available on Sky Glass?

While Peacock isn’t currently available on Sky Glass, which launched here in the UK on 18th October and is a TV with Sky’s premium TV service built-in, the broadcaster has confirmed that it will arrive at some point soon. 

Can I stream Peacock in HD?

In order to access HD content on Sky, you’ll need to purchase the HD add-on. This grants you an excellent range of live and on demand content, including the premium Sky Atlantic, in crisp, glossy detail. 

To enjoy 1080p (often referred to as Full HD) on NOW, the NOW Boost is required. Along with an enhanced resolution, you’ll also get ad-free streaming, all Sky Sports channels at 50 frames per second with the relevant Sports Membership, the ability to stream to 3 devices at once and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound with a sound bar or speakers.