Watching Super Bowl 2022 on Peacock: all you need to know

Super Bowl LVI logo and Peacock logo in front of an American football pitch
(Image credit: Future)

Super Bowl 2022 is just around the corner, and the excitement is building. With the LA Rams playing at home against a seriously in-form Cincinnati Bengals, it's an unexpected match-up that could go either way and provide some fireworks in the process.

While stadium capacities are closer to normal compared to last year's thin crowds, it's likely almost a 100 million people in the US will be watching the game on a Super Bowl live stream, which is being broadcast on NBC this year. 

If you've cut the cord and ditched cable, you may have been considering NBC's very own Peacock TV service as your source for your stream, so here we'll be running down pricing, what devices you can use Peacock on, and what other options you have for catching the game this Sunday.

Is Super Bowl 2022 on Peacock?

As NBC's very own streaming service, it's a no-brainer that Peacock will be offering a live stream of the Super Bowl 2022.

It's worth noting that Peacock's popular free plan doesn't offer live TV, so to get access to the Super Bowl you'll need to go for one of Peacock's premium plans, which we'll outline below. 

Thankfully, though, there are no confusing pricing structures and subscription combinations – every paid-for Peacock plan is showing the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl on Peacock: Rams vs Bengals start time

While the Super Bowl itself is set to start no earlier than 6pm ET (more likely 6.30pm), Peacock has coverage all day, commencing at 12pm ET / 9am PT, with a 'Road to the Super Bowl' show and then about as much analysis and predictions that you could shake a stick at.

How much is it to see the Super Bowl on Peacock?

Compared to some of the other options for catching the Super Bowl like Sling TV and FuboTV, Peacock is a bargain. 

The ad-supported Premium tier costs $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, which gets you all the on-demand content Peacock hosts, along with live coverage of the Winter Olympics, Premier League, WWE, and, of course, the Super Bowl. You'll also have next-day access to NBC titles that are currently airing.

The biggest difference between the Premium plan and the $9.99-a-month Plus plan is the removal of ads. No Peacock plans offer a DVR feature, but the Plus plan does allow subscribers to download and watch some titles offline.

Finally, Peacock doesn't offer a free trial, so you'll have to pay the at least $4.99 to catch the Super Bowl.

Peacock TV on a smartphone and laptop

(Image credit: DANIEL CONSTANTE / Shutterstock.com)

What devices are compatible with Peacock?

Peacock has great compatibility with just about all mainstream devices, including PCs and Macs, smart TVs, and dedicated streaming devices.

Supported browsers include Edge, Chrome, Firefox and Safari, and both Android and iOS apps are available. Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast and LG TVs are also covered, along with PlayStation, Xbox, Roku, Xfinity, and more.

For a full list of devices, head through Peacock's page outlining supported devices – but for the vast majority of users, getting up and running will be a breeze.

Where else can I see the Super Bowl?

While going with NBC's Peacock might seem like the obvious choice, there are a few other options that might suit you better.

Sling TV's Blue plan will get you access to a live NBC feed (plus a lot more), and costs $35 a month. However, Sling is currently offering a 3-day free trial to new subscribers, which means you can watch the big game absolutely free if you cancel in time - but only if you're in a selected market, so be sure to check whether you're included. 

FuboTV is an even more comprehensive sports-focused streaming service, and is also currently offering a free trial. However, if you choose to continue your subscription you'll be paying a hefty $64.99 a month and, right now, you have to commit for at least three months.

Other options include YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and AT&T TV, but while these are excellent cord-cutting services, none offer a free trial, so catching the Super Bowl will cost you over $60.

Super Bowl 2022

(Image credit: NBC)

Watching the Super Bowl on Peacock outside the US

Unfortunately for residents of other countries, the Peacock streaming service is only available to users from the US.

If you're not in the States when February 13 rolls around, and even if you're a paid-up Peacock subscriber, you won't be able to access the service. However, if you use a VPN, you can trick the provider into thinking you're in the country, which will then allow you to watch the Super Bowl on your Peacock account as if you were sat in your own living room.

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Mo Harber-Lamond

Mo Harber-Lamond is VPN Editor at Tom's Guide, and contributor for TechRadar. He focuses on cybersecurity content for Tom's Guide, and creates insightful content across the board to help readers make informed buying choices.