Peacock Tour de France Coverage

Watching the Tour de France on Peacock: The Complete Breakdown

Tour de France streaming has gotten complicated with all the platforms and subscription tiers flying around. As someone who figured out the Peacock situation last summer when I wanted to watch the Tour, I learned everything there is to know about what’s actually included and what works.

It’s not as straightforward as it should be, but once you understand it, the coverage is actually pretty good.

What Peacock Offers

NBC owns the US broadcast rights to the Tour de France. Peacock is their streaming platform. During the Tour, they offer live coverage of every stage plus replays on demand.

The commentary is solid – they use experienced cycling analysts, including former pros. You get pre-race analysis and post-stage breakdowns. Not the same as watching on French TV or Eurosport, but competent coverage.

The Subscription Tiers

Probably should have led with this section, honestly.

Peacock Free: Doesn’t include live sports. Won’t work for Tour coverage.

Peacock Premium ($7.99/month): Includes live Tour de France with ads. This is the minimum you need.

Peacock Premium Plus ($13.99/month): Same coverage, no ads. Worth it if ads bother you.

Prices may have changed – check current rates. The point is you need a paid tier for live cycling.

How the Coverage Actually Works

Every stage is broadcast live, which in the US means early morning viewing for most stages. European race times translate to roughly 6-9 AM Eastern for finishes, depending on stage length.

Full stage replays are available if you can’t watch live. These appear within a few hours and stay available throughout the event. Useful for watching later without spoilers (just stay off cycling Twitter).

They also offer condensed highlights if you want a shorter version. About 20-30 minutes covering the key moments.

The Pros

Every stage is available – no partial coverage or “this stage isn’t included” situations.

On-demand replays work well for people who can’t watch live.

The app works on phones, tablets, computers, and smart TVs. Watch wherever.

Commentary is knowledgeable. They hire people who understand cycling.

The Cons

The premium tier with ads still has ads during coverage. For a paid service, this annoys some people.

Interface can be clunky for finding specific content. Not the most intuitive design.

You’re locked into NBC’s production style. If you prefer European broadcasting approaches, this might feel different.

Some casual fans find the subscription hard to justify for three weeks of cycling.

Alternatives

GCN+ (now Discovery+/Max in some regions): The dedicated cycling streaming service. Often has more comprehensive coverage including smaller races.

VPN + international broadcasts: Technically works but against terms of service. Some people do this for French or Belgian coverage.

NBC Sports broadcast: Some stages air on NBC or CNBC. Check schedules if you have cable.

My Setup

That’s what makes Peacock endearing to us Tour fans who just want to watch. I subscribe to Peacock Premium during July, watch stages live when I can, catch replays when I can’t. Cancel after the Tour ends and resubscribe the following year.

For a casual fan, this works fine. For someone who wants to watch races year-round, GCN+/Discovery+ might make more sense.

The Tour is too good to miss. Peacock makes it accessible. That’s about as much endorsement as a streaming service gets from me.