Streaming deals

Streaming subscriptions are the classic slow leak: one service at a time, each too small to notice, until you're paying for five and watching one. There are really two kinds of service — big general-entertainment platforms with mixed catalogs of movies and TV, and focused services built around one kind of programming, like documentaries. Neither is automatically better value: what matters is which catalog you'll actually watch, and how you pay for it. This section covers the services we work with and the billing habits that make the biggest difference.

Merchants we cover

Before you buy

• Audit what you already pay for. List every subscription once a year — streaming is where forgotten monthly charges hide.
• Annual vs. monthly matters. If you'll keep a service for a full year, annual billing is generally the cheaper way to pay for streaming than month-to-month. Compare the current options on the service's own plans page and do the division yourself.
• Check bundles before you add. Some services are bundled with other memberships, offered as add-on channels, or included in plans you may already pay for — don't buy the same catalog twice.
• Rotate instead of stacking. You can only watch so much. Subscribing to one service at a time and rotating through the year beats paying for several in parallel.
• Pay for the catalog you'll actually watch. A focused service you use weekly is better value than a giant platform you open twice a month.