TeamCable TV is not as popular as it used to be, and more and more people are thinking about cutting the cord. While you should keep in mind the advantages of cable TV, you should be aware of the cost-effective alternatives to cable TV too. Here are some of the best ones:
1. Netflix
If you’d like to binge-watch your favorite TV shows, Netflix is the right app for you. A season first needs to finish airing on TV before it’s available on Netflix, but there are no commercials! Netflix costs only $9 per month, but you’ll have to upgrade to a plan that costs $14 or $18 if you want to use this app on multiple devices at the same time.
2. Hulu
Hulu is one of the best cost-effective alternatives to cable TV, and it will cost you only $6 per month to use it. However, unless you upgrade to the version that costs $12, you’ll have to watch repetitive ads. For an additional fee, you can also use add-ons such as Showtime, Starz, and HBO Max, but there’s a free trial for one month. For news and live sports, consider getting Hulu Live, which also lets you record shows to watch them later. Try it out for seven days free of charge!
3. Amazon Prime Video
You might be used to shopping on Amazon but have you used it as one of the cost-effective alternatives to cable TV? Amazon Prime Video membership costs only $9 per month and lets you watch many TV series, popular movies, and Amazon original series. If the movie or the show you’re trying to watch isn’t included, you can probably rent it or buy it. If you rent it, you’ll have access for only a limited time.
4. HBO Max
For only $15 per month, you can watch the Lord of the Rings, Sesame Street, Friends, Looney Tunes, Batman movies, and much more on HBO Max. It’s a source of videos that you won’t find elsewhere, and their original content is included too. HBO Max is definitely one of the cost-effective alternatives to cable TV that you won’t regret using.
5. Youtube TV
Youtube videos are one thing, but Youtube TV lets you stream more than 85 channels for $65 per month. You’ll also get to watch news channels like CNN, Fox News, and CNBC, as well as your local cable TV channels. This is where you’ll come to search for sports programming too, and you’ll find CBS Sports, ESPN, and similar channels, as well as more specific ones such as Olympic Channel and Tennis Channel.
6. Disney +
Are you aware of everything that Disney owns? For $8-14 per month, you can watch all the National Geographic, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel content that you want. Naturally, you can watch original movies and shows too, which include classic Disney favorites such as Mary Poppins and Frozen. This is one of the best streaming services that you can find and another one of the cost-effective alternatives to cable TV.
7. Discovery +
If you love the Food Network or HGTV, you’re going to love Discovery + which offers these and many more channels for only $5-7 per month. You’ll also get to watch the Discovery Channel, TLC, the Magnolia Network, History Channel, Lifetime, A&E, and Animal Planet. This is your source of educational content, food shows, reality shows, and cabin home shows.
8. Peacock
Parks and Recreation and The Office aren’t available on Netflix anymore, but they are available on Peacock, a new streaming service brought to us by NBCUniversal. You can use the basic version entirely for free, so this is definitely one of the cost-effective alternatives to cable TV. Use your email and password to sign in, and you’ll get to enjoy hours of great entertainment. The premium version is only $5, and for $10 you’ll enjoy your favorite shows and movies without interruptions because there’ll be no commercials.
9. Pluto TV
As long you have a smart TV you can watch more than 100 channels entirely for free, thanks to Pluto TV. If you don’t have a smart TV, just use a device like Chromecast, AmazonFire, or Roku. Whatever you’re interested in, you’ll find something to watch on Pluto TV. Maybe you’re a dog person and, if so, you’ll be happy to know that there’s a Dogs 24/7 channel, but there is also a Cats 24/7 channel if you’re a cat person! You’ll also find retro TV classics and random movies and television shows, all for free.
Try some of these cost-effective alternatives to cable TV, but don’t forget about the advantages of cable TV either. Once you’re aware of all the possibilities you’ll decide whether you’re really ready to cut the cord!
