Streaming services have become so expensive that some customers have decided it's best to cancel them. But what if you want to keep one or two that you can't imagine losing? Are there any good deals to save some cash?
Getting a discount on a streaming service through another company has been a popular way to save money on streaming subscriptions. Examples include T-Mobile's “Netflix on Us” deal, and the Hulu subscription available to Spotify customers. But as the prices of streaming services rise, some of these deals are changing, too. Many packages no longer include the ad-free versions of streaming services, and in some cases, the packages are more expensive.
The changes come as multiple pressures force streaming services to cut costs and raise subscription prices. These include a long strike by actors and writers, and a decline in cable subscribers, which has prompted studios and distributors to look elsewhere for revenue.
Here's what streaming fans need to know about finding a deal on their favorite service.
Read: Netflix, Disney and other big streaming names are changing their strategy. What can you expect?
T-Mobile's Netflix on Us is now Netflix Standard with Ads on Us
Starting January 24, the Netflix NFLX version will be released,
Available free for T-Mobile TMUS,
Users will switch to the option that contains ads. This tier costs $6.99 per month for regular Netflix subscribers but will be free for T-Mobile customers who want it. T-Mobile's streaming deal used to give customers free access to Netflix Basic, which contains no ads and has a lower video resolution, but Netflix eliminated that tier in late 2023. Netflix's ad-free Standard plan now costs $15.49 per month. .
Existing Netflix Basic members will still be able to enjoy the ad-free version for $11.99 per month, as long as they don't change their Netflix plan, a Netflix spokesperson told MarketWatch in an email.
The cheaper, ad-supported version allows Netflix to partner with more companies in bundling deals, Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said on Tuesday's earnings call. These packages are also beneficial for new members, he added.
“They get a better plan than Basic, more streams, higher resolution with downloads. Of course, you know, the real benefit is they get access to all these amazing stories at a lower effective price through the bundle,” Peters said on the call. “We really think of this as a win-win.”
Formerly known as “Netflix on Us,” T-Mobile now sometimes refers to its streaming deal as “Netflix Standard with Ads on Us.” For now, the feature is available to users of T-Mobile's more premium plans, such as Go5G Plus and Magenta Max, and to some Magenta users. T-Mobile also released a new “Hulu on Us” plan on January 24. It is available to new and existing Go5G Next customers. The Go5G Next plan also comes with our Apple TV+ service.
Can you still get Hulu with Spotify Premium?
spotify spot,
Used to provide its premium users with free access to Disney-owned DIS,
Hulu with ads. Right now, this deal is only available to Spotify student subscribers, or current Spotify Premium subscribers; It is not offered to new subscribers. Spotify Premium costs $10.99 per month.
A Spotify student account costs $5.99 per month. For non-student subscribers who still have access to Hulu, Spotify notes on its website that they may lose access to Hulu if they change their plan to Spotify Premium Duo, which is designed for two people, or to the family plan, which costs $16.99. For up to six people.
Spotify and Hulu did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Do you still get free Apple TV+ when you buy an iPhone?
In the past, Apple AAPL,
Offer a free full year of Apple TV+ for people who bought an iPhone, iPad, or other Apple device.
Now, your purchase of any Apple device comes with three months of Apple TV+. But you have to redeem the offer quickly: it expires after 90 days. Another caveat: You can't redeem the offer if you previously got Apple TV+ for free after a previous Apple device purchase.
The offer will automatically appear in the Apple TV app when a customer signs in with the Apple ID associated with the newly purchased device.
Apple TV+ offers a seven-day free trial on its own. After the trial period ends, the user charges $9.99 per month.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Do you still get Disney+ with Verizon?
You can get the Disney+ deal through Verizon VZ,
But it's not free. With Verizon's Unlimited plans, which cost either $65, $80 or $90 per month, Verizon users can choose to pay an additional $10 per month to get ad-free Disney+, as well as ad-supported versions of Hulu and ESPN+, according to Verizon. website. The bundle deal costs $8.99 per month less than if customers paid for all services separately.
Verizon Unlimited plan users can also choose to get a bundle with ad-supported versions of Netflix and Warner Bros.-owned WBD. Discovery,
Max (formerly known as HBO Max), offers $6.98 per month. The third option is Verizon's Apple One bundle, which gives customers an ad-free Apple TV+ with Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and iCloud+, saving $9.95 per month.
The bundle pricing is exclusive to Verizon users and they can add as many additional perks as they want, meaning they can get all seven subscriptions for $30 per month, a Verizon spokesperson told MarketWatch in an email.
Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Can you still get HBO Max with AT&T?
AT&T,
It used to offer an ad-free version of HBO Max, now known as Max, to its unlimited users for free. But AT&T stopped offering this deal to new customers in 2022.
Some existing AT&T customers complained in online forums that they lost access to HBO Max after they changed their AT&T plans. As one frustrated Max fan wrote in an online forum for AT&T users, “AT&T – you lied to me and broke your promise to give Max free for life by canceling my account without any notice or explanation!”
But a company spokesman disputed that complaint and others. “We have not removed Max from customers receiving the feature via legacy plans,” an AT&T spokesperson told MarketWatch in an email.
Read also: Netflix stock jumps 8% due to a significant rise in the number of new subscribers and increased advertising sales
Read more: Netflix has its way with advertising, and Wall Street could win, too
Check monitoring by MarketWatch, a weekly podcast about the financial news we're all watching — and how it affects the economy and your portfolio. MarketWatch's Jeremy Owens trains his eyes on what moves the markets and offers insights that will help you make more informed financial decisions. Subscribe on Spotify and Apple.
