Whether you’re a true cord-cutter or you just want to watch the next season of Stranger Things when it drops, everyone’s on the lookout for streaming deals nowadays. Plenty have chosen VOD and live TV streaming services over traditional cable in recent years, but the savings that choice got you just a few years ago have somewhat evaporated now. Companies like Netflix, Disney, Max and others have been consistently raising prices to the point where you may question if streaming is even worth it anymore.
We at Engadget still think so, for many reasons, but you can (and should) be smart with your money at the same time. Streaming deals are an option, even if they don’t come around with the same regularity as discounts on AirPods do. If you’re looking to save money and still stream all of the content you want, Engadget can help by laying out the best streaming deals you can get right now, how you can save with bundles and everything you should know before paying for yet another streaming service.
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.
Audible subscription (three months) for $3 ($42 off): From now through mid-December, you can get Amazon’s audiobook subscription for just a dollar a month for three months. Note that it will auto-renew at $15 per month after that, but you can cancel at any point.
Starz (one year) for $30 ($40 off): Pay upfront for one year and you can get $40 off a Stars annual subscription. There's a month-to-month option too, which costs $5 per month for the first three months if you don't want to commit to the full year. Either option gives you access to the entire Starz TV and movie library with offline viewing and no ads.
Hulu + Live TV — $64.99/mo for 3 months ($25/mo off): New and eligible returning subscribers can get three months of Hulu + Live TV at a rate of $65 per month, which is much cheaper than the current $83-per-month rate and a whopping 27 percent off the new $90-per-month rate that kicks in on October 21. In addition to live TV content, unlimited DVR and access to more than 95 live TV channels, this service also includes Disney+ and ESPN Select, so you're essentially getting three separate streaming services under this umbrella. Just remember that your subscription will be billed at the new standard $90/month rate after the first three months.
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