The biggest reason to sign up for Peacock this month isn't a show or movie

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An exclusive Week 1 NFL game shows why Peacock's live sports are a reason to sign up

Peacock app on a tablet with popcorn
(Image credit: Shutterstock; Peacock)

Peacock is high on our list of the best streaming services. It doesn't quite have the prestige TV content of Max, but it offers tons of shows and movies — and a ton of live sports.

It's that last reason that caused me to sign up for Peacock, and it's why you should sign up for Peacock this month. On Friday (Sept. 6) Peacock will be the exclusive home (except in local markets) of the Week 1 NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFL's first game in Brazil.

Peacock: starting at $7.99 a month

Peacock: starting at $7.99 a month
Peacock has a huge library of movies and TV shows drawn from various brands including NBC Universal, Bravo, and Universal Pictures. It even has original shows and movies and a strong live sports offering that includes the NFL, college football, the Premier League and more.

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That's right, if you want to watch every NFL game this week, you'll need more than the best cable alternative. ESPN Plus and NFL Sunday Ticket won't cut it either. You're going to need Peacock to catch what could be an NFC playoff preview matchup at 8:15 p.m. ET on Friday night.

The good news is that Peacock will actually give you three NFL games this week, and three more games throughout the rest of September. That's because Peacock not only has the exclusive rights to Packers vs. Eagles but also simulcasts the NBC broadcast of every Sunday Night Football game. 

In Week 1, it'll also offer a simulcast of the NBC broadcast of the season opener between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs this Thursday (Sept. 5), as Prime Video's Thursday Night Football broadcast doesn't start until Week 2 of the NFL season.

Peacock live sports offering is robust

The Peacock app online

(Image credit: Peacock)

Peacock genuinely has a good selection of shows and movies — albeit with few originals — thanks to parent company Comcast owning NBC Universal. But I wouldn't be a subscriber if that was all it had.

I subscribe because of the live sports and always have. Aside from NFL livestreams, Peacock is also the U.S. home of the Premier League. As a die-hard Arsenal, not having Peacock is a non-starter. The longest I've ever held out in a season is two weeks without subscribing again.

But Peacock offers a lot more than just the NFL and Premier League. It also features the Olympics and Paralympics, professional cycling, college football, golf and more. I'd go as far as to say it's the streaming service I'd recommend the most for live sports, which is impressive considering ESPN Plus exists solely for sports.

So if you're a sports fanatic like me — or just love watching football — make sure you're signed up for Peacock this month.

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Malcolm McMillan
Malcolm McMillan
Senior Streaming Writer

Malcolm McMillan is a senior writer for Tom's Guide, covering all the latest in streaming TV shows and movies. That means news, analysis, recommendations, reviews and more for just about anything you can watch, including sports! If it can be seen on a screen, he can write about it. Previously, Malcolm had been a staff writer for Tom's Guide for over a year, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), A/V tech and VR headsets.

Before writing for Tom's Guide, Malcolm worked as a fantasy football analyst writing for several sites and also had a brief stint working for Microsoft selling laptops, Xbox products and even the ill-fated Windows phone. He is passionate about video games and sports, though both cause him to yell at the TV frequently. He proudly sports many tattoos, including an Arsenal tattoo, in honor of the team that causes him to yell at the TV the most.