“Try again”: Magic words if AI missed the mark on your question. I also like “Give me a [shorter/longer/more detailed] answer” and “Add 10 examples to the list.”
7 free streaming TV platforms
I heard a stat the other day I had to share: The average U.S. household spends $61 per month on streaming TV. Plus, you still need to pay for cable or another way to get the internet.
We’re in the midst of a streaming arms race, and prices are only going up.
- Last October, Apple, Amazon and Disney upped their streaming prices by $3 monthly.
- Netflix also nudged up its monthly basic plan rate by $2 last October.
- Just yesterday, Max raised the price of its cheapest streaming plan by $1 to $16.99 per month. Yeah, that’s with ads, people.
TL;DR: If you subscribe to only the basic plans for those services, your bills have gone up $12 per month in the past year. Wanna cut that down? I have seven streaming platforms that are completely f-r-e-e free.
Pluto TV: Pluto’s owned by Paramount, so you get over 250 free channels, including news, sports and lifestyle options. It’s got a solid selection of old TV shows, plus some movies. It’s also compatible with most streaming devices and platforms, like Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku and PlayStation TV.
Tubi: Tubi gives you over 50,000 movies and TV shows, thanks to content from big studios like MGM, Lionsgate and Paramount. You can watch it on your smartphone, laptop and pretty much any other streaming or gaming console.
YouTube: You know it, you love it, but I bet you didn’t know you can find thousands of TV show episodes and even feature films on it for free (with ads). Not to mention, creators like MrBeast have full-length, high-production shows that give regular TV a run for its money. And you get my shows for free, too.
🍿 Speaking of … Here’s a list of the 100 best free flicks available on YouTube. (“Back to the Future,” anyone?)
The Roku Channel: Get thousands of free movies and TV shows, along with over 350 live channels, on any Roku streaming device, compatible Samsung smart TVs or Amazon Fire TVs, or the Roku app. The content is constantly updated, and they have some surprisingly solid originals, too, like “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” and “The Great American Baking Show.”
Crackle: If British TV is your jam, Crackle might be your best bet. It has a lot of BBC shows, like the sitcom “Peep Show” and comedy-drama series “Shameless,” plus a big library of movies and classic TV series, including “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” The downside? Long ads before and during programming. Bollocks …
Freevee: Freevee is Amazon’s free arm, so you’ll need an Amazon Prime account for this one. But once you’re in, it has thousands of free movies and TV episodes with fewer ads than network TV. It also has some excellent original content, like “Jury Duty,” which was nominated for an Emmy last year and is wet-your-pants funny.
Kanopy: This one’s my ringer. Kanopy lets you watch thousands of films completely ad-free using your public library card. They have a great selection of classic, critically acclaimed and foreign films. Stream ‘em on your phone, tablet or almost any other TV streaming device, including Apple TV, Roku and Chromecast.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Watch out for the new ‘ghost hackers’
Imagine if this happened to you: Your spouse passes away, and a few weeks after the funeral, you get a message from them that says, “Hi, I hope you’re having a great day.” Other friends report getting similar messages from your spouse. Some messages offer big returns on crypto investments.
Channel bundling is back
Major streaming services are banding together. Here’s what that means for your subscription fees.
No, getting low-cost streaming content isn’t legit: Five guys behind Jetflicks, one of the largest illegal streaming services in the U.S., got busted. They charged $9.99 a month for more content than Netflix, Hulu, Vudu and Amazon Prime Video combined. They could face years in prison for the millions they raked in from subscriptions. If you subscribed to it, you might be fined for copyright violations, too.
How many minutes of ads are shown per hour of traditional TV? Is it … A.) 8 minutes, B.) 10 minutes, C.) 12 minutes or D.) 14 minutes?
16% decrease
In cancellations when streaming services offer bundles. It’s easier to convince yourself to keep the subscription if you’re still watching one or two out of three services. The new kid on the block is Comcast’s StreamSaver trio (Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+) for $15 a month.
Want better streaming suggestions? Try these hacks
I watched one episode of “Is it Cake?” on Netflix. Spoiler: Everything is cake, and it’s totally not for me. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s completely wrecked my streaming recommendations — and I’m guessing yours aren’t much better.
Double-check those “urgent” emails — they could be a scam
Imagine doing your morning Wordle (yes, I still do) when you get an urgent email from Netflix. Subject: Your subscription just expired.
After a little digging, you realize that your account never lapsed. Now, you’re stuck with a fake charge and a crook running around with your personal info.
Stop paying for things you don’t use: It might sound counterintuitive, but with many streaming services, you can cancel immediately after subscribing (or let Rocket Money* do it for you!) and still enjoy the entire trial period. Just check their policy first. Perfect for when there’s one movie on your to-watch list.
Save some cash: If you’re trying to get a handle on all your streaming services and other subscriptions, use Rocket Money. It helped me save $532 a year by canceling services I wasn’t using and had forgotten about. So smart!
I’m a tech expert and you need to make these tech changes now before it’s too late
Sometimes in life, you just can’t go back. I’m thinking of all the folks I’ve talked to who lost crazy amounts of money to scammers pretending to be in love.
We can’t go back to our old devices, either — as much as I miss that hot-pink Razr. On second thought, the iPhone it is. The same goes for certain steps in our digital lives. Follow the steps below, then pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
Why now is the time to revisit your cord cutting options
I did the math. I’m paying $83 more a month now to watch TV than I did when I was paying for cable. Is it worth it? I do like the convenience of not being tied to a grid, and many of the original shows are terrific. Speaking of, I just finished watching “Masters of the Air.” You def need to watch that on Apple TV+.
Bundles of joy: Bundles can save you money by combining services at a lower total cost. Try Apple One, which bundles cloud storage, music, games and movies — or streaming services Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Share it with family and it’s even cheaper.
Playing hardball with the streaming services
Tech security to-do: Lock down your smart stuff
Anything connected to the internet is a hacker target, and you better believe that includes all the Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets in your home.
A quick word of wisdom before we go any further: You probably don’t think about your router much. But the single password locking it down might be the only safeguard between you and someone up to no good.
5 sites to get free TV without any streaming costs
“Don’t touch that dial,” or at least that’s what they don’t want you to do. With the ever-expanding landscape of digital streaming services, finding excellent and affordable ones is getting harder and harder.
Blu-rays are back: Why people are building physical media libraries again
Remember when you’d go to Costco and buy DVD movies? Some habits are hard to break and I’m embarrassed to admit I buy a ton of movies on Apple and Amazon. That’s why the news coming out now surprises even the cynical me.
Why you can no longer cut the cable to save money
Streaming services are upping their prices big time — it’s all adding up. Here’s the real cost of ditching the cord.
Ahoy, matey! Streaming costs are bringing back piracy
How much do pirates pay for corn? A buck-an-ear! How much do they pay for streaming services? Uh, they don’t.
On a recent Friday podcast, Andrew mentioned all the services he subscribes to to watch football. A reader sent a note with a suggestion: “Just watch on an illegal streaming site. Oh, and be careful what you click.”