I never considered YouTube Premium until Peacock changed everything

Published Aug 12, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT After graduating from Marist University with a degree in communications and journalism, Dan Girolamo has over 10 years of experience writing about entertainment and sports. Dan's work can be seen in various publications, including Digital Trends, SportsCasting, and Tom's Guide. Throughout his career, Dan has interviewed several high-profile filmmakers and creatives, including Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Caitriona Balfe, Frank Grillo, Miranda Cosgrove, Jai Courtney, Chris Columbus and James Cameron. Dan joins How-To Geek as a Senior Editor. When he's not writing about entertainment, Dan is either watching a movie or praying for the New York Knicks to win a championship. YouTube Premium has never piqued my interest. While I use YouTube daily, I'm content with ad-supported videos. Plus, my music streaming service of choice is Spotify. Therefore, YouTube Music is a luxury that I don't need right now. Apologies for the music pun, but I'm starting to sing a different tune when it comes to YouTube Premium. Now, I'm finally considering YouTube Premium as a subscription service to add to my monthly expenses. While ad-free streaming and music are certainly selling points, they're not the main element driving my curiosity about YouTube Premium. Much to my dismay, my interest in YouTube Premium has everything to do with the addition of Peacock. I already subscribe to Peacock, but the new YouTube bundle has me evaluating whether I should jump to YouTube Premium. Peacock is coming to YouTube Premium next year YouTube makes a huge move Credit: NBCUniversal Late last month, YouTube and NBCUniversal announced a historic partnership. Starting in early 2027, Peacock Premium will be included in a bundle with YouTube Premium for eligible subscribers in the U.S. More importantly, Peacock Premium, which is the ad-supported tier, will be available for no additional eligible YouTube Premium subscribers. If you already have YouTube Premium when this deal goes into effect next year, Peacock will be immediately available to you. “This partnership brings NBCUniversal’s world-class content and iconic franchises to YouTube’s unmatched scale and global platforms,” said Mike Cavanagh, Co-CEO of Comcast Corporation, in a press release. “We’re excited to deepen our relationship with YouTube through a collaboration that reflects our strategy of partnering with industry leaders to drive sustained growth for NBCUniversal.” Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your KnowledgeThe history of YouTube PremiumTrivia challenge Think you know everything about YouTube's premium subscription service? Put your knowledge to the test. FeaturesHistoryPricingMusicStreaming Begin What was YouTube Premium originally called when it first launched in 2015? AYouTube PlusBYouTube UnlimitedCYouTube RedDYouTube Pro Correct! YouTube Premium launched in October 2015 under the name YouTube Red. It was rebranded to YouTube Premium in May 2018, alongside a refresh of the service's features and positioning. Not quite — the original name was YouTube Red. Google rebranded it to YouTube Premium in 2018 to better align it with other Google subscription services and reflect its expanded music offering. Continue Which of the following is NOT a feature included with a YouTube Premium subscription? AAd-free video playbackBBackground play on mobileCUnlimited cloud storage for videosDOffline video downloads Correct! YouTube Premium does not include unlimited cloud storage for videos. Its core perks are ad-free viewing, background play, offline downloads, and access to YouTube Music Premium — but storage isn't part of the deal. Actually, unlimited cloud storage is not a YouTube Premium feature. The subscription focuses on ad-free playback, background play, and offline downloads. For storage, Google offers Google One as a separate product. Continue Which music streaming service is bundled with a YouTube Premium subscription? AYouTube Music PremiumBGoogle Play MusicCSpotify PremiumDYouTube Beats Correct! YouTube Premium includes access to YouTube Music Premium at no extra cost. YouTube Music replaced Google Play Music as Google's dedicated music streaming service and shut the older service down in 2020. The correct answer is YouTube Music Premium. Google bundled its own music service with YouTube Premium after phasing out Google Play Music. YouTube Music launched in 2018 and became Google's primary music streaming platform. Continue What kind of pricing plan does YouTube Premium offer for families? AA couple plan for two usersBA family plan covering up to 5 additional membersCA family plan covering up to 2 additional membersDThere is no family plan available Correct! YouTube Premium offers a Family Plan that covers the account holder plus up to five additional family members, for a total of six users. Each member must be at least 13 years old and share the same home address. YouTube Premium's Family Plan actually covers the primary member plus up to five additional people — six users total. Members must reside in the same household, and the plan is a cost-effective way for families to share the benefits. Continue What does the 'background play' feature in YouTube Premium allow you to do? APlay videos while your screen is locked or another app is openBDownload videos to play later without an internet connectionCCast videos to a background TV screen automaticallyDPlay two YouTube videos simultaneously in split-screen Correct! Background play lets YouTube continue playing audio even when your phone screen is locked or when you switch to another app. This is especially popular for listening to music, podcasts, and long-form content on mobile. Background play specifically refers to the ability to keep audio playing when your screen is off or when you navigate away from the YouTube app. It's one of the most popular YouTube Premium perks, particularly for music and podcast listeners. Continue In what year did YouTube rebrand from YouTube Red to YouTube Premium? A2016B2019C2017D2018 Correct! YouTube officially rebranded YouTube Red to YouTube Premium in May 2018. The rebrand came alongside the launch of YouTube Music, Google's answer to services like Spotify and Apple Music. The rebrand from YouTube Red to YouTube Premium happened in May 2018. Google used this moment to also launch YouTube Music Premium as a standalone and bundled service, signaling a broader push into the streaming market. Continue Which type of content does YouTube Premium give subscribers early or exclusive access to? AHollywood blockbuster movies before theatrical releaseBYouTube Originals — exclusive series and filmsCLive sports events not available to free usersDAll Vevo music videos in 4K Correct! YouTube Premium subscribers have historically received early or exclusive access to YouTube Originals — scripted series, documentaries, and films produced by YouTube. However, YouTube later made most Originals free to watch with ads. The correct answer is YouTube Originals. These are exclusive productions created by or for YouTube, including scripted shows and documentaries. YouTube has since shifted strategy, making many Originals free with ads rather than Premium-exclusive. Continue Which of the following user groups is typically eligible for a discounted YouTube Premium rate? ASenior citizens over 65BVerified content creatorsCStudents with a valid academic email addressDUsers who have had a Google account for over 5 years Correct! YouTube Premium offers a discounted student plan for eligible students who verify their enrollment through a valid academic email address. The discount is substantial compared to the standard monthly price and must be renewed annually. YouTube Premium's discounted plan is available to students who verify their academic status — usually through a .edu or equivalent institutional email address. The student plan is one of the most affordable ways to access Premium features. See My Score Challenge CompleteYour Score / 8 Thanks for playing! Try Again YouTube Premium currently costs $15.99/month for an individual plan and $26.99/month for a family plan. Before this deal, Peacock Premium Plus, priced at $16.99/month, was available as a subscription through ​YouTube Primetime Channels since June​. Later in 2026, Peacock Premium, currently $10.99/month, will also be available for purchase as a separate add-on through YouTube Primetime Channels. Peacock boasts an underrated library of live events, movies, and shows Sports, entertainment, and Christopher Nolan As an American streaming service, Peacock does not have the same global footprint as Netflix or Prime Video. That being said, I don't think people realize how many valuable assets Peacock has to offer that will be available on YouTube Premium. Peacock has become one of the most important streamers for live sporting events, which is one of the reasons why I subscribe to the service. NFL games are probably the most important assets any network can own. NBC has Sunday Night Football, the No. 1-ranked show in primetime for the last 15 years. Every Sunday Night Football game now streams on Peacock, meaning if you have YouTube Premium in 2027, you can watch select NFL games. The NBA now has a media rights agreement with NBCUniversal, which includes exclusive games on Peacock. The NBA's deal with NBCUniversal runs through the 2035-2036 season, so if you love basketball like I do, you need Peacock. Credit: Dan Girolamo/How-To Geek/Peacock Other live sports include Notre Dame football, Big Ten football, college basketball, Premier League, Kentucky Derby, WNBA, golf, and more. In 2028, the Summer Olympics are on home soil in Los Angeles, so expect NBC and Peacock to go all in on their Olympic coverage. Do I watch all of these sporting events? I do not, but I definitely watch some and wouldn't mind having the option to watch via Peacock on YouTube. Plus, NBCUniversal is going to add select live sporting events to NBC Sports’ YouTube channel. As for TV shows, you're getting some of NBC's most popular shows of all time, including The Office, Law & Order: SVU, and Saturday Night Live. Peacock has expanded its slate of prestige dramas recently with Emmy-nominated hits like All Her Fault and The Traitors. Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal How many of you reading this were able to score tickets to The Odyssey? If you're waiting to watch it again at home, then you need Peacock, which gets an exclusive four-month streaming window for Universal movies. Other popular 2026 hits currently on Peacock include Obsession and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. So when Nolan's epic retelling of Homer's poem arrives on streaming, it will first go to Peacock. As someone who loves The Odyssey and wants to revisit many of its scenes, it's in my best interest to keep my Peacock subscription. Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams 3 I have Peacock, but do I need YouTube Premium? The streaming landscape is rapidly changing Credit: Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek | DenPhotos / Shutterstock I've never subscribed to YouTube Premium, but the fact that I'm even considering it speaks volumes to the changing streaming landscape. As a sports fan, I have Peacock to watch top NBA and NFL games. Both leagues have also aired playoff games on NBCUniversal platforms, giving me yet another reason to have Peacock. I'm someone who believes in streaming bundles. Purchasing individual subscriptions to streaming services is an outdated practice. Why buy one streaming service at full price when I can get a combination of three for a discount? I currently have a Netflix-HBO Max bundle and a Hulu-Disney+ bundle. I don't see myself ever going back to the old way of buying streaming services separately. I'm now looking at YouTube Premium as part of a bundle with Peacock. Though I might value Peacock more, adding YouTube Premium to my streaming rotation could still be worthwhile. Spotify has been my music streaming service of choice, but I do see the appeal of the ad-free experience on YouTube Music. Furthermore, downloading YouTube videos and watching them offline is something I would take advantage of since I'm always traveling. YouTube Premium Subscription with ads No, all ad-free Live TV No The jump to YouTube Premium is a debate worth having Thankfully, I still have some time before Peacock is added to YouTube Premium in 2027. Paying $15.99/month for YouTube Premium and Peacock might be worth the investment for me. I don't expect Peacock to be YouTube's only major move, either. The battle between YouTube and Netflix has only just begun.