Peacock has loads of shows and movies available, and is the original home of the The Traitors (US). If you want to sign up from outside of America, then there are a few options to explore. Here is everything you need to know.
Is Peacock available in the UK?
Peacock content is now available in the UK via one of two ways. If you have a Sky TV package, then you can access its content via here. Alternatively, you can sign up for Now’s Entertainment Membership, which costs £9.99 per month. Whilst some shows and movies are available on the UK version of Peacock, not everything is included. If you want full, unfiltered access, then you’ll need to sign up for the US version.
How to watch Peacock outside of the US using a VPN
To get access to Peacock US abroad you’ll need a VPN, either an iPhone or Android device and a PayPal account if you’re signing up for the Premium plans. The first thing you’ll need to do is choose your VPN. There’s lots of options out there, but our top recommendations are NordVPN and ExpressVPN – both offer competitive pricing, good performance and a decent range of servers. A VPN can unblock streaming services by making it appear as if you’re in US, regardless of where you actually live. You can take a look at further recommendations in our list of the best VPNs for streaming. Peacock’s Free tier doesn’t cost anything, but has a very limited library. To stream everything, you’ll need to sign up for either Peacock Premium for $4.99 per month, or Peacock Premium Plus for $9.99 per month. The former is ad-supported, whilst the latter is ad-free. If you’re signing up for Peacock Free, then you won’t need to register your payment details and should just be able to turn on your VPN, connect to a US server, go to the Peacock website and sign up for a free account. However, if you want to sign up for Peacock Premium or Peacock Premium Plus, then here is what you need to know.
How to register your payment details on Peacock US
We successfully managed to create a Peacock Premium account using an Android phone and ExpressVPN Here’s what you need to do once you’ve downloaded your VPN on your mobile device:
Launch your VPN on your iOS/Android device and connect to a US serverCreate a new Apple ID/Google Play account in your browser that’s tied to the USRegister your new account on your iOS/Android device app storeYou should now have access to the US app store – download and install the Peacock appIf you don’t have access to the US app store, sign into your VPN on your PC and send the app to your phone via the webTap ‘skip’ if the app store asks you to add payment information to your accountCreate a new account in the Peacock app with your new email address and a passwordUse PayPal as your method of payment (this can be a UK account)Once your account is verified, you can sign in from your PC or laptop
During testing, I noticed that the Play Store did not change to the US version, even when creating a new account. The way I got round this was by connecting to a VPN on my PC, signing into the Google Play Store US website, searching for the Peacock app and sending it to my phone (which was still connected to the VPN). We have had reports of people not being able to install US streaming apps such as HBO Max on iOS as the app store forces users to register their payment details within the app store, and doesn’t accept UK PayPal if you try to register with this account. If this happens to you, we recommend purchasing US App Store credit via a digital gift card – which can be added as a US payment option. If you set your email address as the recipient, the code to redeem the money will be sent to your inbox. When you come to add the payment information, select ‘redeem gift card or code’, and you should be able to add the money as credit on your account. With this, you should then be able to sign up for a Peacock account and change your payment information back to your UK PayPal via the website to avoid having to pay for a new gift card every single time. Hannah Cowton is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor and Macworld, working across entertainment, consumer technology and lifestyle. Her interests and specialities lie in streaming services, film and television reviews and rumours, gaming, wearables and smart home products. She’s also the creator of The London Geek, a geek culture and lifestyle blog.
