Meet the real Cocaine Bear: How to watch the true story of the drug-fueled legend

Get the scoop on the real-life shenanigans behind the Hollywood hit in ‘Cocaine Bear: The True Story’. Here are the best ways to watch:

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BEST OVERALL

Peacock Premium annual subscription
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— $19.99/year with code N2TEWDZZ for one year
$49.99/year
(save $30)

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BEST FOR XFINITY CUSTOMERS

Peacock Premium
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— free with eligible Xfinity accounts
$49.99/year
(save $49.99)

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BEST FOR SPECTRUM CUSTOMERS

Peacock Premium
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— free for one year (Spectrum TV customers) or 90 days (Spectrum internet customers)
$49.99/year
(save $49.99/year or $4.99/month)

Elizabeth Banks’ Cocaine Bear is now streaming on Peacock, which means you can witness Cokey’s gory, drug-fueled rampage from your own couch. The film, which follows a black bear on a cocaine-fueled killing spree in the Chattahoochee National Forest, lit up the box office and it’s not hard to see why. The plot is utterly ridiculous; even more ridiculous is that it’s (loosely) based on fact.

If you’re wondering what to watch after Cocaine Bear, or you’re curious how a 175-pound black bear ended up ingesting a bunch of cocaine, educate yourself on the real Pablo Eskobear in Cocaine Bear: The True Story. The real story behind the Hollywood blockbuster is now streaming — here’s how you can watch.

What is the real story behind the movie Cocaine Bear?

Since I know you’re wondering: yes, a bear really did do a bunch of cocaine. But in the real story, it didn’t actually go on a murderous spree through the forest. The true story is still pretty bonkers, though.

Back in September 1985, convicted drug smuggler Andrew Thornton was found dead in a driveway in Knoxville, Tennessee. He had roughly $15 million worth of cocaine strapped to him and was wearing Gucci loafers. Months later, the Associated Press reported that investigators found “a ripped-up shipment of the sweet-smelling powder and the remains of a bear that apparently died of a multimillion-dollar high.” That bear, dubbed Pablo Eskobear (Cokey’s real-life counterpart), then became a legend in his own right.

The true crime story, and what links Pablo Eskobear to Thornton, is a web of corruption, murder, gun running, and more. The documentary features interviews with those close to the case, including the former sheriff and special agent whose team first discovered The Cocaine Bear.

How to watch Cocaine Bear

Both the Hollywood version and the real-life story are streaming on Peacock as of April 14. You can learn more about streaming the darkly comedic fever dream in this explainer.

How to watch Cocaine Bear: The True Story

Cocaine Bear: The True Story is a Peacock Original produced by ITN Productions and Brownstone Productions. That means you can only watch the one-hour documentary on Peacock, just like the Hollywood hit. The good news is Peacock is one of the most affordable streamers around. The bad news it no longer offers a free trial period. Still, there are a few ways to get Peacock Premium for a steal.

Can you watch Peacock for free?

You can watch Peacock’s free tier with a slight workaround, but you’ll only have access to limited content. In order to watch Cocaine Bear: The True Story, you’ll need to subscribe to either the Premium or Premium Plus tier (at least for a month). Some cable and internet subscribers who use Xfinity or Spectrum can score a Premium subscription for free (more on that below) for a limited time. Not an Xfinity or Spectrum customer? You may not be able to access Peacock’s premium content for free, but you can for as low as $1.67 per month, which is pretty dang close.

Peacock streaming deals

This is the best deal for most people, as it simply requires entering a code at checkout and scoring $30 off with no prerequisites or strings attached. When you reach the page to choose a plan, select the premium annual subscription (which will already save you 17% compared to the monthly subscription). Then enter the code N2TEWDZZ to drop the $49.99 cost down to just $19.99 — that’s 67% in savings and works out to just $1.67 per month. The deal is only available for your first year of streaming, so when it comes time for auto-renewal, you’ll be charged full price unless you cancel.

The code won’t stick around forever, so if you’re having trouble getting it to work, you can get a new unique code by signing up for a Macy’s Star Rewards account (don’t worry — it’s free). Just enter your email, phone number, and birth date, then turn on email and text notifications to retrieve your code.

Through June 26, all Xfinity Flex customers and Xfinity X1 and video customers who have a subscription to Xfinity Internet or Digital Starter TV (or equivalent or above) can get Peacock Premium for free. You must have an Xfinity Flex or Xfintiy X1 device to access your free streaming subscription. Create a Peacock account, then link your Xfinity account to your newly created account to start streaming.

Spectrum TV and internet customers can get the scoop on the real Cocaine Bear story for free as well, though the terms differ. Through December 7, Spectrum TV customers (other than the Basic tier or Essentials product) can score a free year of Peacock Premium ($49.99 value), while Spectrum internet customers (including the TV Essentials product) can score a free 90-day subscription. Simply create a Peacock account, link it to your Spectrum account, and add a valid payment method to access Cocaine Bear: The True Story and other Peacock Originals.