NBC Sports Philadelphia on Peacock is just another cash grab by streaming platforms

If you’re someone who ditched cable hoping you’d never have to pay for a bloated bundle again, brace yourself. NBC Sports Philadelphia could be available as an add-on through the Peacock streaming platform by early 2025—but don’t think this is a game-changer for fans.

It’s just another reminder that streaming platforms are getting more and more like the cable companies they claimed to disrupt.

The Wall Street Journal reports that NBCUniversal plans to offer its regional sports networks, like NBC Sports Philadelphia, as paid add-ons for Peacock subscribers.

So if you’re sick of shelling out for cable just to watch the Phillies, Sixers, or Flyers, this might seem like good news. But before we all rush to celebrate, let’s take a step back and think about what’s really going on here.

Peacock and Streaming Platforms in General are Becoming Cable 2.0

First off, this isn’t some revolutionary idea for consumers.

Streaming services have slowly started to resemble cable more and more—offering bundles, add-ons, and charging extra for content that used to be included.

Remember when Netflix was all you needed?

Now, between Netflix, Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, and all the rest, you’re back to paying the same or more than you would for a cable package.

And now they want to make you pay even more just to get your local sports?

Peacock, as it stands, already costs $7.99 per month.

But to get NBC Sports Philadelphia, you’ll have to fork over more. How much more? That’s the key question here, and if it’s anything like other sports streaming services, it won’t come cheap.

Instead of paying for one service to stream games, you’ll likely need a Peacock subscription plus an additional charge for the sports channel.

Maybe a Pay-Per-Game or Pay-Per-Team Option?

Again, the entire streaming vs cable war is basically just a money grab to begin with. If they were serious about making a model that could actually benefit fans, then there would be a pay-per-game or pay-per-team option on the packages.

Think about it…

• I pay for MLB.TV because I’m a baseball fan.
• MLB.TV blacks out local teams so I can’t watch the Phillies on that platform.
• I pay for YouTubeTV for “cable” but really, just to watch NBC Sports Philly.
• Now I will have to pay for Peacock and a Local Sports Package.

I do the same exact thing with NBA League Pass and the Philadelphia 76ers. I also pay for NFL RedZone and considered to add the NFL Sunday Ticket option.

Meanwhile, Thursday Night Football is already streaming on Amazon Prime and even Netflix is carrying NFL games on Christmas.

This is absolutely insane and there’s nothing consumers can do but bend the knee and pay whatever in order to watch a sporting event.

A pay-per-game model is something that could actually benefit fans. If you only care about the Sixers and couldn’t care less about Phillies baseball or Flyers hockey, you should be able to choose what you want to pay for.

Or even better, what if you just want to watch one game? Why not let fans pay for individual matchups, instead of locking them into monthly or annual packages?

Unfortunately, that seems unlikely. Instead, they’ll charge you for access to the whole channel, whether you watch one game or 100. Sure, it’s more convenient than cable, but it’s still forcing you to pay for content you don’t want just to get access to what you do.

Streaming is No Longer the Cheaper Option

It’s becoming more obvious with every new streaming “innovation” that these platforms are slowly becoming the very thing they claimed to replace—complicated, expensive bundles.

For sports fans, it’s a frustrating turn of events. You cut the cord to save money and get more flexibility, and now the big networks have just found a way to sneak back into your wallet.

And let’s not forget, it’s not like these platforms have been flawless.

From glitchy streams to broadcasts that lag behind live TV, paying extra doesn’t even guarantee a better viewing experience. Just ask anyone who’s tried to stream a crucial playoff game only for the feed to buffer in the middle of the action.

Look, having NBC Sports Philadelphia as an add-on is still better than being forced into a full cable package, but it’s hard not to see this as another cash grab.

Sports fans deserve better options. The least these platforms could do is let us pay for what we actually want to watch—whether it’s one team or one game.

But instead, we’re likely headed for more subscriptions, more fees, and less control over how we consume the sports we love.

Streaming was supposed to be the solution to overpriced cable packages, but with every new add-on and “exclusive” service, it’s becoming clear that the fix was never really for us—it was just another way for these companies to pad their bottom line.

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