The playoff showdown between Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs and Tua Tagovailoa’s Miami Dolphins was one of the most talked-about games this season. The match also hit the headlines for the return of Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill to Kansas City following his trade from the defending champion.
Besides the on-field excitement, the Dolphins vs. Chiefs clash was a hot topic, as it was scheduled to be the first time a playoff game would air only on a streaming platform in the history of the NFL. Peacock earlier signed a blockbuster contract with the league to broadcast the first-ever live-streamed playoff clash. However, the experiment went terribly wrong due to fans dissatisfaction with the quality of the streaming platform.
NFL fans unhappy with Peacock’s streaming quality
When the NFL announced it would stream the Chiefs-Dolphins wildcard game exclusively on Peacock, sports enthusiasts were visibly upset. Their frustration stemmed from paying to watch a playoff match, which was supposed to be free. With no traditional TV channel set to broadcast the playoff game, fans had to witness this playoff action via digital means.
The streaming platform had a chance to turn these unhappy fans into their potential loyal customers by offering good-quality service. Unfortunately, the platform faltered, and the production quality of the match did nothing to change fan’s minds. A number of outraged netizens took to social media to slam Peacock for several issues.
Fans came up with a number of complaints, especially that they were not happy with the video quality. It was grainy and continuously buffering.
A user wrote, “This picture / video quality is brutal…. Constantly buffering…. Like I’m watching stop motion.”
A netizen wrote,”Your streaming looks like crap.”
When Peacock began the broadcast, the sound was not usual. The background noise was terrible and streams were not aligned across all the locations. Given the brutal weather conditions of the playoff match, some teething problems can be expected. However, fans do not expect footage of such low quality in the playoffs.
A fan wrote, “Hey great job…your audio and video aren’t synced up for this game already. Tonight is going to be 100% a disaster!”
Peacock will need to come forward with a strong statement to address these issues. On the field, the Chiefs proved their dominance by securing a commanding 26-7 victory over the Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card clash.
How much is Peacock’s subscription?
Peacock TV offers two subscription tiers catering to diverse viewer preferences. The Peacock Premium (ads) plan, priced at $5.99 per month, presents an affordable option for those willing to tolerate occasional advertisements while watching something. For an ad-free experience, users can opt for Peacock Premium Plus at $11.99 per month via Games Rader.
Both plans offer an annual subscription, with Peacock Premium costing $59.99 a year and Peacock Premium Plus priced at $119.99 annually. Opting for the yearly subscription provides 17% cost savings.
While the streaming platform used to provide a free trial, this option was removed in 2021 for both Peacock Premium and Peacock Premium Plus. In January 2023, NBCUniversal, the owner of Peacock TV, removed the free tier for the streaming service and turned it entirely into a subscription-based platform.
Regardless of the subscription chosen, the platform promises a vast content library with at least 80,000 hours of entertainment. It spans movies, TV shows, and NBC programs, along with 24/7 virtual channels.
