Recommended streaming service tips (2023 edition)
I know I’ve written quite a bit about streaming services, but it occurred to me I don’t have a general post summarizing most of my tips and thoughts. Given I’ve summarized lengthy posts on social media, I thought it’d be worth doing the same here.
Below are my general streaming service tips, some of them pulled from previous posts. Note my suggestions, and the prices given below, are as of the time of this writing (October 2023), and aimed mainly at people in the United States. Since the streaming world is in a constant state of change (and price hikes), I’ll likely be revisiting this in the future.
Pay for four streaming services maximum
You don’t have to pay for every streaming service, nor should you. Despite the constant price hikes and other corporate antics, sticking with just a handful of services is still cheaper than going back to cable. Thus, I suggest only paying for three or four services at the most; everything else, either: rent; buy on DVD/digital video; subscribe to a service long enough to binge and then cancel; or just ignore it.
Several services is enough to provide a ton of TV and movies to enjoy, while not feeling overwhelmed (the “paradox of choice”) or spending a lot. You also won’t forget to cancel some rarely-watched service. And of course, nobody has time to watch every “must-see” TV show, no matter how much said TV shows are hyped or praised.
An alternative to setting a four-service-limit is to set a monthly streaming service budget, if a specific dollar amount is easier to manage.
Exceptions to the above:
Free ad-supported streaming services (Pluto TV, Tubi, etc.) don’t count toward the four-service-limit.
Also not counting: services you get for free through some means, such as through a cable company or phone carrier.
Streaming bundles (such as the Disney Bundle, combining Disney+ and Hulu) count as just one service, as it’s paying just one bill.
The top five streaming services
While I can’t cover every possible situation or viewing taste, I do have a few suggestions for which services to choose. For starters, there’s the five most popular streaming services (and presumed winners of the “streaming wars”), which are:
Netflix ($7 with ads; $15.50 without ads; $20 without ads; 4K)
Amazon Prime Video ($9 for Prime Video; $15 for full Prime service; an extra $3 to avoid ads, starting in 2024)
Hulu ($8 with ads; $18 without ads)
Disney+ ($8 with ads; $11 without ads)
Max ($10 with ads; $16 without ads)
All of these services work as general purpose/”catch-all” services, with a broad variety of content that’d satisfy most people. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu are longtime mainstays; Disney+ is one of the few newcomers to become entrenched (because, well, Disney); and Max is riding on the popularity of HBO (and Warner Bros.’ catalog… or what hasn’t been purged yet).
That said, while the future of Hulu is up in the air, it’s clearly going to be tied closely to Disney+. In my opinion, you’re better off buying the Disney Bundle (Disney+ and Hulu together; $10 with ads, $20 without ads) versus either service by itself. Besides the minimal price difference, Disney+ and Hulu work better as a “catch-all” service bundled together, making up for each other’s weaknesses. A version of the bundle with ESPN+ is also an option for casual sports fans.
Secondary services
On the secondary service level:
Paramount+ ($6 with ads; $12 without ads)
Peacock ($6 with ads; $12 without ads)
Apple TV+ ($7, without ads)
Various niche services: Shudder, Boomerang, Discovery+, etc.
While these aren’t as popular or don’t have the same breadth as the top five services, they’re still worth considering, depending on one’s tastes. They’re also often on sale, such as on Black Friday.
Free ad-supported services
Free services are also an excellent choice, depending on your tolerance for commercials. In my opinion, Pluto TV and Tubi are the two best choices; the former provides dozens of streaming “channels,” replicating the cable TV experience. The latter serves as an on-demand service, similar to Netflix.
While not ad-supported, I also recommend PBS and (for young children) PBS Kids, two free services that offer on-demand PBS programming. The PBS app also provides a free live stream of your local PBS station; similarly, the PBS Kids app provides a free live stream of PBS Kids programming.
Finally, there’s using a TV antenna for over-the-air programming.
Cable replacement services
Cable replacement services can serve as a provider for the major cable TV networks, from CNN to Nickelodeon to the “Big 3” cable sports channels: ESPN, TNT, and TBS. While such services are expensive, they’re (for now) free of most of the fees that plague (and hike the price on) traditional cable TV.
Sling TV is the cheapest cable replacement service, starting at $40 for the Orange or Blue tier (with differing channel lineups) or $55 for both tiers. If Sling TV doesn’t cut it, then consider YouTube TV ($73+) or Hulu Live ($77+); unlike Sling TV, these two offer local TV channels. (And a major reason why they cost a lot more; local TV stations earn a lot of money charging cable providers retransmission fees.)
Sports aren’t cheap
Sports are the most expensive programming to watch on TV for a variety of reasons. (Never mind even instant replays have corporate sponsors.) As such, there aren’t many good ways to save money with sports, especially if you’re a hardcore sports fan. It’s more a question of how much you’re willing to spend to watch your favorite team(s).
The cheapest sports option is a TV antenna for over-the-air TV, which mainly works for NFL football. After that, there’s a few on-demand services that carry sports:
ESPN+ ($11): out-of-market hockey, some college sports, ABC/some ESPN football and basketball simulcasts
Paramount+: CBS football coverage, “March Madness” college basketball playoffs
Peacock: NFL “Sunday Night Football,” Premier League Soccer, the Olympics
Max (free until early 2024, then $10/month extra): TNT hockey coverage, “March Madness” college basketball playoffs
Hardcore sports fans will want either a cable replacement service (like Sling TV or Hulu Live) or, if all else fails, consider keeping cable.
Which streaming services to choose?
As for which services to choose, I suggest getting at least one of the top five services. Of course, Netflix (despite its recent problems) is still the most popular service, and default choice, for many people.
Beyond that, pick whatever services appeal to you, while keeping in mind my four-service-limit recommendation. Also feel free to add on free ad-supported services and PBS/PBS Kids.
A few possible examples:
General viewing: Netflix; Disney Bundle (Disney+/Hulu); Amazon Prime.
For animation fans: Disney Bundle (Disney+/Hulu); Paramount+; Max; Tubi (some classic cartoons). For more about cartoons, see my earlier post about animation-related streaming services.
As an over-the-air TV replacement/for casual sports fans: Disney Bundle (Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+); Paramount+; Peacock.
For reality shows: Netflix; Paramount+; Discovery+.
Frugal viewing: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Bundle (Disney+/Hulu), or Max; Pluto TV; Tubi; PBS.
Conclusion
I hope the above streaming service tips are helpful. A few sites with additional (or updated) streaming service information:
An Ars Technica article on the state of sports streaming (from August 2023)
A few YouTube channels covering streaming: