Hold on to your remotes – with any luck, you may see streaming bundles getting bigger and better before the holidays are over.
First to belly up to the table is Verizon, which has announced a $10 per month deal that includes ad-supported versions of both Max and Netflix. When you do the math, that makes the deal a 40 % discount compared to the regular prices that Max and Netflix charge.
Additionally, Verizon offers a $10 Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ plan add-on, meaning customers can get five major streaming services for $20.
And where there’s smoke, there could be fire.
“The only way forward is the bundle, which might not bode well for consumers as it in its mature form inevitably reduces choice and access to only the content we love most,” Dan Goman, streaming and entertainment expert and founder of Ateliere Creative Technologies, told ConsumerAffairs.
“While we are still in the early stages of the reinvention, industry veterans understand where this is headed. The bloated bundle with three of the channels you actually want to watch and 300 channels you don’t really care about.”
Goman thinks that the next two to follow suit are Amazon and Roku and the Hollywood Reporter said that Apple TV+ has held some talks with Paramount about an Apple TV+/Paramount+ bundle.
All the current streaming deals
In situations like this, ConsumerAffairs frequently leans on Cord Cutter Weekly’s Jared Newman to set things straight and he didn’t disappoint with his update on the matter.
Here are all the current streaming package/bundle deals that he has listed as of December 4, 2023. Note: Links to those deals can be found on Newman's site.
Streaming deals:
Paramount+: Get a month free (including the ad-free tier with Showtime) with coupon codes COLIN, CHALLENGE39, or WANTMORE. New or returning subscribers only. See instructions below.
Peacock: Save $30 on annual plans with code PEASUMF7B85.
YouTube TV: First three months for $51 per month. (Reg. $73 per month.) New subscribers only, ends October 31. Frontier and WOW internet customers can save $10 per month for a year.
NFL Sunday Ticket: Now half off for the remaining season. Bundle with YouTube TV and get three months of Max. See Verizon deals below.
Apple TV: Get three months for free from Best Buy or Target. New subscribers only. With Family Sharing, multiple family members can redeem these offers and share with the rest of the group.
Starz: $3 per month for three months. New subscribers only.
MHzChoice: One year for $54 with code LABOR23.
Sling TV: Get half off your first month. New subscribers only.
DirecTV Stream: Add the “Sports Pack” and save $25 per month for two months. New subscribers only.
Philo: One month for $12.50 with code DECKTHEHALLMARK23. New subscribers only.
Streaming deals from mobile carriers
“If you haven’t claimed any free or discounted streaming video services from your wireless carrier, you’re probably leaving money on the table,” Newman said. Here’s who’s got what going on now:
Verizon
MyPlan savings:
Save $5 per month on the Disney bundle with new MyPlan offerings, or save $7 per month on an Apple One subscription.
The Disney bundle ($15-per-month value):
Free with “Get More Unlimited” and “Play More Unlimited” plans
Get More and Play More Unlimited are no longer available for new Verizon subscribers, but existing customers can still redeem this offer.
Includes Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (with ads), and ESPN+ (with ads).
Upgradeable to ad-free Hulu for $6 per month, but not to Hulu + Live TV
Redeem through the My Verizon website
Apple TV+ ($5-per-month value):
Free with “One Unlimited” plan. It also includes Apple Music, Arcade, and iCloud+.
Apple One Unlimited is no longer available for new Verizon subscribers, but existing customers can still redeem this offer.
T-Mobile and Sprint
MLB TV for free (T-Mobile only):
Must be redeemed between March 28 and April 4.
Redeem through the T-Mobile Tuesdays app.
Netflix for free (T-Mobile only):
Basic (SD video, one stream, $10-per-month value) with single-line “Magenta Max” or multi-line “Magenta” plans
Standard (HD video, two streams, $15.49-per-month value) with multi-line “Magenta Max” or legacy “One Plus” plans
Can be upgraded to higher Netflix tiers at a discount
See T-Mobile’s website for instructions on how to redeem
Hulu on-demand for free (Sprint only, $7-per-month value):
Available with Sprint Unlimited plans
Upgradeable to ad-free for an additional charge
Redeem through the Sprint website
Apple TV+ for free ($7-per-month value):
Available with T-Mobile Magenta Max and Sprint Max plans
Magenta and Sprint one plans get six months instead
Redeem through T-Mobile or Sprint
AT&T
“AT&T has stopped offering free HBO Max with its current wireless plans, but if you have an older AT&T unlimited data plan, you may still be able to get HBO Max at no charge,” said Newman.
The following AT&T plans are currently eligible for HBO Max as of this writing:
Unlimited Elite
Unlimited Plus and Plus Enhanced
Unlimited Choice, Choice II, and Choice Enhanced
Unlimited &More Premium
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2023-12-06 15:45:37