You signed up for “Peacock Premium” assuming that the word “Premium” meant a luxury, uninterrupted experience. Then, you sat down to watch The Office, and a commercial started playing. It feels like false advertising. The confusing naming conventions of streaming services have led many users to accidentally sign up for commercials they thought they were paying to avoid.

Yes, Peacock has ads. The standard plan, misleadingly named “Peacock Premium,” is an ad-supported tier that shows approximately 5 minutes of commercials per hour. To remove most ads, you must upgrade to the “Premium Plus” plan, but even this tier includes unavoidable commercials during live sports, news broadcasts, and linear “channels.”

I will break down exactly what you get with each tier, why “No Ads” doesn’t actually mean “No Ads,” and the unique ad formats Peacock uses to try and be less annoying than its competitors.

The Two Tiers: Paying for Ads vs. Paying for Silence

Peacock has eliminated its free tier for new subscribers, leaving you with two paid options. The naming convention is where most people get tricked.

Peacock Premium (The Ad-Supported Plan)

This is the standard plan.

• The Cost: Roughly $7.99/month.

• The Experience: You get full access to the library (movies, shows, live sports), but you have to watch pre-roll and mid-roll commercials.

• The Ad Load: Peacock promises “5 minutes or less” of ads per hour. In my testing, they adhere to this strictly. It is significantly lighter than cable TV or the standard Hulu plan.

Peacock Premium Plus (The “Mostly” Ad-Free Plan)

This is the upgrade.

• The Cost: Roughly $13.99/month.

• The Experience: Most on-demand content (like watching a movie or a past season of a TV show) is completely ad-free. You also gain the ability to download titles for offline viewing and access your local NBC channel live.

The “Ad-Free” Loophole: Why Do I Still See Ads?

This is the number one complaint from Premium Plus subscribers. You paid extra to remove ads, yet when you turn on Sunday Night Football or a 24/7 “Dateline” channel, you are bombarded with commercials.

The “Live” Exception

Peacock cannot remove ads from a live broadcast. If you are watching a live NFL game or a Premier League match, you are seeing the same feed as someone watching on cable. Peacock does not have the technology to blackout the commercials in real-time for specific users, nor do they have the right to override the broadcast contracts. If it is Live, it has Ads.

The “Streaming Channels” Exception

Peacock offers “Channels” that function like old-school TV stations (e.g., a channel that plays Hell’s Kitchen 24/7). These are linear streams. Because they are programmed like a TV station with built-in breaks, they contain ads for everyone, regardless of your plan. Key Takeaway: The “No Ads” benefit only applies to things you select from the on-demand library (VOD).

Innovative Ad Formats: The “Pause” Ad

Peacock knows you hate interruptions. To combat this, they have been pioneers in “Non-Intrusive” ad formats.

What Are Pause Ads?

If you hit “Pause” to go get a snack, the screen doesn’t just freeze. After a few seconds, a translucent ad overlays the screen. This is a Pause Ad. While some users find it creepy, it is statistically the least intrusive format because it never interrupts the action. It only appears when you have already stopped watching.

The Future: Interactive Pause Ads

The next evolution of this format is interactivity. Advertisers are realizing that a static image on a paused screen is a wasted opportunity. We are starting to see a shift toward Interactive Engagement. Smart brands are looking to use tools like Gamewheel to turn these pause moments into engagement loops.

• The Concept: You pause The Office. Instead of a static picture of a Pizza, you see a “Trivia Question” about the episode you just watched.

• The Gamewheel Integration: If you answer correctly (interacting with the HTML5 overlay), you get a discount code.

• The Benefit: This turns a “dead” moment into a “value” moment. Because the viewer is already disengaged from the show (paused), they are more likely to engage with a quick game than they would be during a mid-roll break. This aligns perfectly with Peacock’s strategy of trying to monetize attention without ruining the show.

Is the Upgrade Worth It?

Should you pay the extra $6/month for Premium Plus?

Who Should Upgrade?

• Binge Watchers: If you are watching Yellowstone or The Traitors back-to-back, the ads add up. Saving 5 minutes per hour means saving an hour of your life every season.

• Commuters: The “Download” feature is exclusive to Premium Plus. If you need offline viewing for the subway or airplanes, you have to upgrade.

Who Should Stay on Basic?

• Sports Fans: If you only use Peacock for the NFL, Premier League, or WWE, do not upgrade. You will see ads during the live events anyway. The upgrade provides almost zero value for live sports viewers.

Conclusion

Peacock Premium has ads because it is an “entry-level” paid tier, not a luxury one. While the “Premium Plus” upgrade removes interruptions for movies and on-demand shows, it cannot save you from the commercial breaks inherent in live sports and linear channels.