Peacock Streaming App Isn't Available On Roku Or Amazon Fire TV

The latest service to join the streaming wars is none other than NBCUniversal's Peacock. Launching on July 15, the service boasts thousands of hours of content from movies to TV shows to original programming. However, it is not available on the two most popular platforms: Amazon Fire TV devices or Roku, much like HBO Max. And the PS4 Peacock app won't arrive until the week of July 20.

The unavailability of Peacock on Roku and Fire TV is another sign of the complex relationship between the companies that own the streaming services and those that make the devices and platforms on which they can be watched. A report in Variety suggests that the failure of Peacock--and HBO before it--to secure a deal with Roku or Amazon is down to issues of ad revenue and the fact that the streaming companies want users to watch their movies and shows via native apps, allowing them to collect subscriber viewing data.

However, the huge popularity of both Roku and Fire TV means that millions of potential subscribers won't be able to access Peacock. It was recently estimated that there are 80 million users of Roku and Fire TV, making up 70% of all streaming devices in the US.

In a statement to CNET, a Peacock spokeswoman suggested that the blame lay at the feet of Roku and Amazon. The statement reads, "The Peacock app is ready to launch across platforms with the flip of a switch. We think it's important for consumers to know that Peacock is free to use and free to any platform who wants to distribute it.

"If Peacock is not available on a platform at launch, it is not because we didn't make it available, and it's not because we didn't make it available for free. Consumers have purchased these devices with the expectation they will be able to access all of the apps, so our hope is that all platforms will do right by their users and carry it."

Peacock has launched with three pricing tiers, namely:

• Free: 7,500 hours of ad-supported programming. Includes current seasons of TV shows, movies, TV classics, news and sports, Hispanic, streaming channels, and more.
• $5 a month: 15,000 hours of ad-supported programming. Includes everything in previous tier, plus original series, 4K/UHD viewing, premium moves, full tent-pole series, and more.
• $10 a month: Everything in previous tiers, without ads.

For more, check out GameSpot's guide to where you can watch Peacock, and what originals are available at launch.