Peacock TV’s Premier League streams go down just as matches start

Peacock TV users reported widespread disruptions trying to stream Premier League matches live on the service Saturday, one of the only sources in the US that fans can watch the games. The live-video playback appeared to start resuming service within about an hour, but not before viewers missed much of the first halves for most of the matches Peacock was slated to stream Saturday. 

Respresentatives for Peacock, which is run by Comcast’s NBCUniversal, didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment. NBC Sports’ soccer-focused Twitter account said that matches were also available to stream in the NBC Sports app, though some users reported snafus trying to watch there as well. 

We are aware of current difficulties streaming matches on Peacock. All matches are currently available for free in the NBC Sports app. Thank you for your patience.

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) September 11, 2021

Social media was flooded with complaints about errors trying to live stream the matches, and Down Detector — the outage tracking website — reflected a surge in reports of disruptions Saturday. 

Peacock has tens of thousands of hours of free programming, but only paying members can access everything, including Premier League. Subscribers hoping to watch Saturday’s matchers are paying for either a $5-a month or a $10-a-month premium tier.  

Peacock streams more than 175 matches live this season, and it has full replays of all 380 matches. Replays of all the matches that stream live on Peacock will be available shortly after the live stream ends, and replays of other matches are available on Peacock 24 hours after they end.

This Saturday, Peacock was supposed to be streaming live: 

• Brentford vs. Brighton at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET
• Arsenal vs. Norwich City at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET
• Watford vs. Wolves at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET
• Man City vs. Leicester City at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET
• Chelsea vs. Aston Villa at 9:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. ET