People said it was too hard to cancel Peacock. Now NBCUniversal must pay $3.6 million

Approximately three years ago, a resident from Southern California voiced concerns over accidentally renewing a Peacock subscription. It appears that this dispute will conclude with the media conglomerate NBCUniversal shelling out roughly $3.6 million to Los Angeles County.

This week, the county revealed a potential agreement in progress with NBCUniversal and its offshoot, Peacock TV, to tackle a pending court dispute. The disagreement revolves around accusations that the streaming platform did not offer transparent disclosures or a straightforward method for users to terminate their subscription, thereby enabling an unwanted auto-renewal.

It’s up to a Los Angeles judge to approve the settlement.

In this agreement, the Comcast-owned streaming service, Peacock, has consented to contribute $1.5 million to the county’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs for enforcing consumer protection, as well as an additional $100,000 for investigating their subscription and auto-renewal procedures.

Furthermore, NBCUniversal is required to pay a fine of $2 million that will be used specifically for enforcing consumer protection regulations.

Hollywood Inc.

Due to a decrease in new subscribers since the initial surge caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV+ have raised their subscription fees.

Rafael Carbajal, head of the county’s Consumer and Business Affairs department, stated that this victory for the public underscores the fact that even powerful businesses must adhere to consumer protection regulations.

NBCUniversal declined to comment.

Other streaming platforms have been criticized for having complex cancellation processes that consumers find difficult. According to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday, Peacock’s practices were found to violate California and federal consumer protection laws. The proposed agreement to resolve this issue was also submitted to the court.

Under the proposed settlement, Peacock must satisfy certain requirements.

To ensure transparency, the service should make it evident and easily noticeable on their platform how automatic subscriptions are renewed. It’s crucial that users understand the auto-renewal details as well as Peacock’s cancellation policy before they sign up or make a purchase.

To ensure compliance with the agreement, the company should secure a clear ‘yes’ from customers before entering into a subscription contract, as opposed to auto-renewal. Moreover, an effortless way to cancel the subscription should be provided, allowing for prompt termination of services without any unnecessary hindrances or delays.

Hollywood Inc.

Without partnerships with Roku and Amazon, the streaming service might encounter difficulties for Comcast subscribers. However, Peacock adopts a unique approach.

As part of the deal, the county will abandon its lawsuit and its request for a trial.

In response to a probe into customer grievances, Los Angeles County Counsel Dawyn R. Harrison submitted a civil lawsuit, acting on behalf of Californian residents. The original consumer complaint was made back in early 2022.

The investigators from the County Lawyer’s Office’s Proactive Litigation and Customer Advocacy Department looked into the reported infractions, followed by negotiating a resolution to the issue.

Television

In the upcoming season 2 of ‘Poker Face,’ which is Peacock’s murder-mystery series, the actor reprises their role as Charlie Cale. Notably, in this new season, Jill Soloway (the actor) will also be taking on directing responsibilities for the show.

In a statement, Harrison expressed gratitude for Peacock TV’s promptness, collaboration, and openness during our investigation, as well as their readiness to discuss terms for a resolution.

Hollywood Inc.

Disney enters the competitive streaming landscape alongside HBO Max, Peacock, Apple TV+, and Quibi. However, with the market becoming more congested, analysts caution that not every service may flourish.

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2025-07-17 22:31

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