Streaming services keep raising prices. At this point, if you subscribe to all the major services out there, you're basically paying the same price as cable — those antiquated local monopolies that streaming was supposed to save us from. But streaming still has one big advantage over the old ways: no contracts. That means you can grab a good streaming deal and then cancel without penalty.
Our advice is to sign up for a service when you see a good streaming deal (or the latest season of, say, Doctor Who, Severance, Andor and/or The Last of Us). Then, when the deal ends or you've binged whatever it is you want to watch, cancel as needed. But streaming deals don't come around all that often and, when they do, it's easy to miss them thanks to...everything. So we're keeping eyes out for the best streaming deals out there and we update this guide often — so check it out the next time you have a hankering to watch something new.
Best streaming deals
True streaming deals can be hard to come by. Most often, they’ll pop up during the Black Friday shopping period. On occasion, we’ll see them sparingly throughout the year and they usually take the form of a discounted monthly or annual rate for a limited period of time. Also, true streaming deals are typically on the ad-supported versions of a service, but once in a while you’ll find a unicorn of a deal on a tier that has ad-free viewing.
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If you’re able to wait for a deal before subscribing to a streaming service, we recommend doing so. You’ll save money upfront and in the long run, and you also have the option to cancel your subscription before the price goes back up to the normal rate. Maybe you find you like the service so much that you’re fine paying full price for it — that’s the ideal situation. But if you’re not compelled to keep that app on rotation in your smart TV, most streaming services make it easy for you to cancel at any time. With that said, these are the best streaming deals you can snag right now.
ESPN ESPN Unlimited with Disney+ and Hulu bundle $30/month $36/month Save $6 Paid for by ESPN ESPN’s new streaming service is officially available now, and new subscribers can get Disney+ and Hulu included for one year when they sign up. The regular price of the new ESPN Unlimited plan is $30 per month, but this bundle offer throws in Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) for one year at no extra cost. If you want to break it down, you’re essentially getting each of the three services for $10 monthly with this offer. For the uninitiated, the new ESPN streaming service has two plans. The base level is ESPN Select, which is essentially just ESPN+ under a new name. It includes more than 32,000 live sports events, a library of studio shows, on-demand replays and more for $12 per month. The premium tier, ESPN Unlimited, ups the ante by providing access to all of ESPN’s linear networks including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes and others, plus programming on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+ and ACCNX. It includes 47,000 live sports events throughout the year, on-demand replays, original programming and more. You can think of it as everything you’d want from cable ESPN, just via streaming now. $30/month at ESPN
Apple Music Family Plan (3 months) for $0 ($51 off): New subscribers can get three free months of the Apple Music Family Plan, which gives you and those on your family sharing account access to the entire Apple Music library. Considering the standard monthly cost is $17, you'll save over $50 with this deal. Offer for new subscribers redeeming on eligible devices. Auto-renews at $16.99/mo until cancelled. Requires Family Sharing. Terms apply.
Starz (one year) for $24 (66 percent off): Pay upfront for one year and you can get 66 percent off a Stars annual subscription. There's a month-to-month option too, which costs $4 per month for the first three months. Either option gives you access to the entire Starz TV and movie library with offline viewing and no ads.
Spotify Premium Individual (3 month) for $0 ($36 off): This is our favorite music streaming service for podcasts and social features. Right now, users who have not signed up for Spotify's Premium service before are eligible to get three months for free. The Premium Individual plan lets you listen ad-free and skip songs at will. You can also organize your listening queue and download content for offline listening. Just be aware, your subscription will auto-renew at the end of the trial period. So if you don't want to be on the hook for the $12 monthly fee, set a reminder to cancel and go back to the free version.
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