Here’s how you can spend less money on OTT subscription platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, etc
Even though House of the Dragon and Andor are among the TV shows with the best ratings, you definitely don’t want streaming services to be one of your largest monthly expenses. There are many excellent programs and films available to stream, but even five of them might easily set you back more than $50 per month.
Consider what would happen if you subscribed to one or more streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, or HBO Max. You would stream until the season finale of your favorite show, at which point you would search for something new to watch. But if you aren’t actively watching anything on them, it isn’t worthwhile to have numerous subscriptions. Here’s an explanation of our money-saving method and some advice on how to get really good at it.
It’s simple to join a streaming service and leave when rates rise or the content dries up because we can sign up for monthly plans. The most common reasons individuals terminate their streaming subscriptions are cost and a lack of new material, according to Deloitte’s 2022 Media Trends research. Media corporations refer to this activity as “churn.” This technique is known as the rotation method. The advantages? You avoid content droughts and save money. Consider the case where a popular show like The Real Housewives or House of the Dragon is slated to debut on a service. Keep track of the overall number of episodes and wait till they are all at once accessible on a platform. Once the episodes are accessible, you can re-subscribe to HBO Max, Disney Plus, or another subscription and catch up on your favorite shows. To save money, you may start streaming a show in the middle of the season. You can stay current by consulting my monthly list of streaming services to discontinue. The negative? Every show you wish to watch won’t be available right away; you’ll have to wait until the entire season has aired. You might not be caught up with your friends because many streaming providers release new episodes weekly rather than all at once. If you like to view episodes as soon as they are released, you might decide it’s worthwhile to have many subscriptions active at once.
- Prior to being charged, cancel your streaming subscription. Create calendar reminders for your billing cycle and forthcoming TV show or movie release dates. Give yourself adequate time to start or stop a subscription. You can keep track of when and where TV series and movies are streaming with the use of apps like JustWatch, V Time, and Hobi. Additionally, JustWatch recently included a tracker designed exclusively for sports.
- Enroll in streaming service promotions
Look for streaming service savings. For instance, Starz is providing a special six-month discount of $3 per month, which is a third of the typical monthly rate of $9. You can also benefit from the Disney Bundle, which offers discounted access to Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus in a single package. Additionally, qualifying Hulu users can add Disney Plus for $3. Finally, make sure to ask your mobile carrier which streaming services they provide.
- Decide on one or two default streamers. Choose only one or two additional subscriptions to match your monthly spending limit after you have signed up for your essential services for the year. Making sure you don’t miss your favorite shows while staying within your monthly spending limit requires rotating the bonus service(s) based on what you want to see.
- Maintain monthly billing. Avoid annual subscriptions, and be mindful of the payment deadlines for auto-renewal. Even if you’ve merely signed up for a free trial, your billing cycle might help you decide whether it’s the best time to stop using a service.
- Pause your streaming service instead of terminating it. You can stop your Hulu membership for up to 12 weeks, and Sling offers a comparable feature with restrictions. Find out if you may take a brief break without canceling your streaming service by contacting them.
Indian audiences have essentially turned into OTT addicts. The transition from traditional cable TV to digital media like DTH and OTT services has been gradual. One effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, which encouraged people to stay at home, was that everyone soon became addicted to popular OTT services in India, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Zee5, Disney+ Hotstar, and others. The majority of millennials nowadays have accounts on numerous such OTT services to have full access to the plethora of content available. Having so many alternatives is excellent, but if you want to keep your entertainment costs in check, you must manage these subscription-based streaming services wisely.
