Days of Our Lives Is Leaving Daytime TV—Here’s How You Can Still Watch It
Updated: Jan. 05, 2023
Everything you need to know about watching Days of Our Lives on Peacock
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Talk about a plot twist! NBC recently announced that its popular soap opera, Days of Our Lives, will be leaving the network after airing daily for 56 years. The series, which launched on Nov. 8, 1965, became one of the longest-running TV shows ever. Now, though, the network will fill its time slot with the upcoming NBC News Daily. But fear not, fans of the daytime drama. The show will go on—you’ll just need to watch Days of Our Lives on Peacock, NBC’s streaming platform, instead.
The announcement that the daytime soap will be joining the ranks of other TV shows on Peacock shook longtime viewers, many of whom have been watching since day one. But industry insiders say this type of move isn’t all that surprising. “Networks really want to lure the public to their streaming sites in an effort to boost their subscriber base,” explains Josh Dean, head of development at Campside Media. “Announcements like this will probably keep happening as viewers stop watching linear TV, or basic cable, as we know it, and instead ‘cut the cord’ and watch TV via their laptops and tablets on the streamers.”
In other words, viewers are wise to the fact that TV shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV rank among the best TV shows created today, and they’re shifting their focus to streaming television, many giving cable the boot altogether. Naturally, NBC wants those viewers to spend time on its platform, and it’s hoping Days of Our Lives streaming will help.
The big question is whether Peacock’s Days of Our Lives will be any different from the network version. Also undetermined: Will the soap opera’s loyal fan base hop on over to Days of Our Lives streaming to keep up with the drama? And how will they even find it? We’ve got answers to all your burning questions below.
Is Days of Our Lives moving to another channel?
It is not. The soap opera will still be a part of the NBC universe, but it’ll no longer be airing on network television. That means you won’t be able to turn on cable TV, click to NBC and watch the show.
Instead, Days of Our Lives will be available on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock TV. You can easily access it via a Wi-Fi–enabled computer, tablet, smartphone, Roku or smart TV. (You know, the same way you’d find the free Reader’s Digest streaming app.) Simply sign up for a Peacock account, log in, search for the show and start watching!
If you feel like rewatching your favorite episodes from seasons past, Peacock will have all 14,000 of them available too. Retro Days of Our Lives episodes from the ’80s? Big Hair, we’re there!
And the best part? When you’re ready to watch other classic TV shows, you can find dozens of them on the streaming platform as well.
When is Days of Our Lives leaving NBC?
Soon! On Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, Days of Our Lives streaming will begin its run on Peacock TV, and the cast and crew are already trying to make sure fans won’t miss any of the drama. In a Facebook post, Days of Our Lives director Scott McKinsey wrote, “Please consider signing on to Peacock for at least a month, near the date of September 12, to demonstrate your interest in following ‘Days’ to its new platform. This will help solidify ‘DOOL’s chances of remaining viable with Peacock.”
Translation: If this experiment doesn’t work out so well, it could signal the inevitable end of the long-running show. Dean admits that’s a risk. “Some people simply don’t want to give up watching TV on the networks or cable channels they grew up with,” he says.
Is Days of Our Lives on Peacock for free?
It’s not completely free (like these streaming platforms), no. Peacock does have a free, ad-supported tier that lets you watch certain shows with advertisements, exactly as you did when it was on the NBC network. But Days of Our Lives will not be available on that tier.
Instead, fans will have to sign up for the Peacock Premium subscription, which costs $4.99 a month. With membership, you also get access to some truly great movies (like the entire Harry Potter series), popular sitcoms like Modern Family and The Office and beloved dramas like Yellowstone and Downton Abbey.
You’ll still have to deal with advertisements, though. If you want completely ad-free viewing for Peacock’s Days of Our Lives, you’ll have to sign up for the $9.99-a-month subscription.
Is Days of Our Lives ending in 2022?
Nope, the saga will go on! Days of Our Lives is joining two other major NBC programs in their move to Peacock: Thursday Night Football and Dancing With the Stars.
To put it into daytime soap terms, the show may be disappearing from cable TV, but like all great soap opera characters, it’ll come back to life on Peacock—same story line, same characters.
That said, according to industry outlets, the show has been on thin ice several times during the past 15 years. According to an article in Vulture, it has been the least watched of the four network soaps currently airing and has faced cancellation several times. But as long as fans stick with the show in its new home, there’s an excellent chance that there will be plenty more days for Days of Our Lives.
Which other soap operas have moved to streaming?
So far, Days of Our Lives is the first of the still-airing soaps to make this major move, and there’s no doubt the entire industry will be watching closely to see if it succeeds.
But if you’re in the mood to watch a daytime drama that’s no longer on air, you can search the various streaming platforms. Not all of them are available, but if you happen to be a big Susan Lucci fan, you’re in luck. All My Children is available to stream on Hulu.
Which soap operas are still on daytime TV?
Not too many at this point! With Days of Our Lives on Peacock, there are only three daytime dramas left: CBS’s The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless, and ABC’s General Hospital.
Daytime dramas have been declining rapidly in the past decade. According to TV Insider, there were seven daytime dramas still airing in 2010; there were 12 on the air in 1990. Experts cite a couple of potential reasons for the decline. For starters, most American households are now dual-income, so fewer people are staying home during the day. And then there’s the reality TV effect. It’s cheaper to produce, and unscripted and reality shows are becoming more and more popular.
Thankfully, if you’ve been watching daytime TV for years, you’ll still be able to catch the familiar phrase that ushers in the next episode of your favorite soap: “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.”
Sources:
- Josh Dean, head of development at Campside Media
- Vulture: “Twist! NBC’s Days of Our Lives Is Moving to Peacock”
- TV Insider: “And Then There Were Three: The Decline of Soap Operas on Broadcast TV”
