Apple TV and Peacock bundle starts at $15/month, available on Oct. 20
In a rare move for Apple’s streaming service, users will be able to purchase bundled subscriptions to Apple TV and Peacock at a discounted price, starting October 20.
The Apple TV streaming service alone (which was called Apple TV+ until Monday) costs $13 per month. NBCUniversal’s Peacock starts at $8/month with ads and $11/month without ads. With the upcoming plan, people can subscribe to both for a total of $15/month or $20/month, depending on whether Peacock shows ads (Apple TV never has ads).
People can purchase the bundles through Apple or Peacock’s websites and apps.
Apple and NBCUniversal hope to drive subscriptions with the bundle. In a statement, Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple TV, Apple Music, Sports and Beats, said he believes the bundle will help bring Apple TV content “to more viewers in more places.”
Bundles combining multiple streaming services for an overall discount have become a popular tool for streaming providers trying to limit cancellations. The idea is that people are less likely to cancel a streaming subscription if it’s tied to another streaming service or product, like cellular service.
Apple, however, has largely resisted. Previously, it offered a package with Apple TV at full price, plus Showtime and Paramount+ (then called CBS All Access) at no extra cost. But these add-ons, especially at the time, could be considered more cable-centric compared to the streaming package announced today.
Apple will also offer some Apple Originals content to watch with a Peacock subscription. The ad says:
At launch, Peacock subscribers can enjoy up to three episodes of Stick, Slow Horses, Silo, The Buccaneers, Foundation, Palm RoyaleAnd Prehistoric planet from Apple TV for free, while users of the Apple TV app will be able to watch up to three episodes of Law & Order, Bel-Air, Twisted Metal, Love Island Games, Happy’s Place, The Hunting Party, And The Real Housewives of Miami of Peacock.
Additionally, people on Apple One’s Family or Premier plans can get Peacock’s most expensive subscription, which adds offline downloads to the ad-free tier and typically costs $17/month, for about $11/month (“a 35% discount,” according to the ad). The discount marks the first time Apple has offered Apple One subscribers a deal for a non-Apple product, suggesting a new willingness by Apple to partner with competitors to help its services business.
