This streaming service will hit premium users with ads as soon as they open the app

NBCUniversal’s streaming video service, Peacock, offers two tiers of subscriptions. After its steepest price hike a few months ago, the ad-supported Premium tier costs $10.99 per month, while you will have to shell out $16.99 per month for the ad-free Premium Plus tier. As if the existing ads in the Premium tier weren’t enough, Peacock has the bright idea to add even more ads to the Premium tier — this time, showing ads right when the app starts up.

Variety reports that Peacock users will soon be greeted by an ad as soon as they open the app. Called “Arrival Ads,” these ads will be incorporated into the Peacock home page as a live spot that plays as a user logs onto the streaming service.

As you can see, the app’s startup page, which previously displayed only the profile selector in the middle, will soon be dominated by an ad, and the profile selector will be relegated to the left edge.

These ads will play every time you open Peacock as a Premium user, starting next year. If you don’t want to see these ads at startup, you will have to subscribe to Peacock’s Premium Plus tier.

NBCUniversal’s announcement is quite proud that Peacock is the first streamer to offer this type of ad.

These dynamic experiences mark a step-change in platform innovation, with Peacock being the first streamer to offer this type of ad in a premium AVOD environment – turning the platform’s front door into an interactive brand moment and demonstrating how technology and world-class storytelling can fuel engagement, fandom, and full-funnel performance.

While the brag is intended for advertisers who want to advertise on Peacock, it definitely does not sit right with customers for whom this is nothing more than even more enshittification.

That’s not all the ads coming your way, though. NBCUniversal also plans to utilize AI tools to search live sporting events for the optimal moment in the game to place commercials and branding elements — such as when the pitcher throws the third strike, or the team reaches the 10-yard line. From the sounds of it, watching sports on Peacock could soon get even more annoying on the Premium plan.

Just in case you forgot, Peacock also has Pause Ads, where ads are displayed even when you pause content. With even more ads on their way to be littered throughout the experience, customers will have to decide for themselves if the Premium plan is worth the investment.