YouTube Premium is about to become much more than an ad-free YouTube subscription. Google and NBCUniversal have announced a new multi-year partnership that will bring Peacock Premium to eligible YouTube Premium subscribers in the U.S. beginning in early 2027. Once the rollout begins, subscribers will be able to access Peacock’s ad-supported tier directly within the YouTube experience at no additional cost, combining YouTube’s existing perks with one of the largest streaming libraries in the U.S.
The new bundle includes everything YouTube Premium already offers — ad-free YouTube videos, background playback, offline downloads, and YouTube Music — while adding access to Peacock Premium’s catalog of TV shows, movies, and live sports. That means subscribers will be able to stream content such as Saturday Night Live, Love Island USA, Law & Order: SVU, blockbuster Universal films, and live sporting events including the NFL, NBA, and the Olympics, all without purchasing a separate Peacock subscription.
Today, we’re announcing that starting in early 2027, @YouTube Premium subscribers in the U.S. will get @peacock Premium included with their membership. 🦚 👏
We’re excited to expand our partnership with @NBCUniversal, bringing new benefits to YouTube Premium members and… pic.twitter.com/1KjZatJTzj
Google also says users will have the option to upgrade to Peacock Premium Plus if they prefer an ad-free Peacock experience. Beyond the U.S., the companies plan to introduce additional international bundles featuring NBCUniversal’s Universal+ and Hayu streaming services in select markets.
The agreement goes beyond simply combining two subscriptions. As part of the expanded partnership, a selection of NBC Sports events will also stream for free on the NBC Sports YouTube channel, while NBCUniversal has extended its distribution agreement with YouTube TV. The companies also plan to deepen their collaboration across advertising, technology, and sports production.
The timing is significant for both companies. YouTube Premium now has more than 125 million Premium and Music subscribers worldwide, while Peacock recently crossed 48 million U.S. subscribers and turned a profit for the first time. For NBCUniversal, the partnership dramatically expands Peacock’s reach, while YouTube continues transforming Premium into a broader entertainment subscription rather than simply an ad-free version of YouTube.
Google hasn’t announced an exact launch date beyond early 2027, saying more details will be shared closer to release. Still, the move reflects a growing trend across the streaming industry, where companies are increasingly bundling services together to offer better value and reduce subscription fatigue. For YouTube Premium subscribers, it also means one less streaming subscription to think about paying for next year.
Some of the best shots in Grok Imagine’s AI-made Odyssey don’t contain actors. Ancient landscapes stretch into the distance. Close-ups of grimy hands suggest people who have touched something rougher than a keyboard. For a few seconds, the illusion holds.
https://twitter.com/imagine/status/2113712964419063911
YouTube videos could soon look better without eating quite so much data, right? Thankfully, the platform plans to introduce a new video format called AV2 on its web player in early 2027, promising more efficient streaming and potentially fewer playback hiccups on slower internet connections. The big headline is a roughly 30% improvement in compression efficiency over AV1, YouTube's existing video format. That doesn't guarantee every video will use 30% less data, but it could make streaming a little easier on both internet connections and data allowances.
What is AV2, and why should viewers care?
YouTube is changing how its Home page works, giving viewers more control over what shows up there and making some of the app’s most-used sections easier to reach. Custom Feeds are now replacing the existing topic chips for eligible users, while YouTube is also testing a redesigned top bar on mobile that moves Subscriptions closer to the Home feed.
YouTube first started experimenting with Custom Feeds earlier this year, letting you type out what you wanted to watch and turning that request into its own stream of recommendations. Now, the feature is starting to look less like a side experiment and more like something YouTube actually wants people to use as part of their everyday Home page.