Peacock originally launched in the U.S. on July 15, 2020. Since then, it has slowly expanded to other countries. However, it is not available in as many locations around the world as some other services such as Netflix or Disney Plus. For now, it has a relatively limited reach with plans for further expansion in the works. As of November 2021, it became available in the U.K. and Ireland, albeit not in the same way as conventional streaming services. Rather than signing up separately for the service, users can access Peacock content if they are a Sky TV or Now subscriber. While that requires a commitment to a different service, it has proven easier for some users if they already have a Sky or Now subscription set up as it’s built into the service’s regular user interface. A similar expansion occurred in Austria and Germany in January 2022, with Italy following in February 2022. In all cases, Peacock is accessed via Sky or Now TV.
Peacock has not confirmed launch dates for other countries but there are vague suggestions of release dates. NBC and Comcast have promised that the service will reach Switzerland at some point in early 2022. From there, further expansions will take place in mid-2022 with Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Norway, Sweden, and the Czech Republic, joining during this time. Current plans are that Australia, France, Asia, and Latin America will also be able to sign up to Peacock in late 2022. However, no specific information has been offered as to which Asian or Latin American countries will be included here. Previously, it has been suggested that when Peacock comes to some countries, it may also launch as a joint streaming force with Paramount Plus, including original programming from both services. Availability will be affected depending on any existing arrangements within respective countries.
If you don’t live in a country where Peacock is currently available, there is hope, however. As with most streaming platforms, it is currently possible to access Peacock through a VPN. By doing so, you circumvent georestrictions enabling you to either check out content from a different country or using it when located somewhere where Peacock is not currently an option. Not all VPNs are capable of circumventing such restrictions but it’s worth checking out which ones will work correctly if you want to try out the service from a country where Peacock isn’t available.
Bear in mind, though, that this is a breach of terms and conditions. In some cases, you may find your account closed or suspended if Peacock detects you are accessing it via a VPN. While signing up for a free plan via a VPN is simple, if you want to sign up for a premium plan, you will need to make sure that you pay via a payment method that works in the country you are browsing. It’s worth considering how currency changes and exchange rates affect prices too.