Tips To Keep The Monthly Streaming Bill Low

With so many options to stream TV, movies and other programs, you could pay as much as you did for cable. Use our tips to save money and find the best services for you.

- Kaitlin Pitsker

Not so long ago, parting ways with your cable or satellite television provider left you with just a handful of viewing options. Early cord-cutters could sign up for Amazon, Hulu or Netflix to stream movies and previously aired TV shows, but they usually missed out on live programming. Sports fans could use an antenna to catch some games on broadcast networks, but they often had trouble cheering on the home team because of rules banning coverage of games in a team’s local market. And people who waited for their favorite shows to appear on the network’s website a few days after they aired did their best to avoid spoilers until they could watch the latest episode. // Alternatives to cable have grown more attractive—and more plentiful—in recent years. Today, cutting the cord comes with more solutions than sacrifices, thanks to an abundance of high-quality streaming content ranging from must-see TV to niche programs and on-demand streaming to live programming. And apart from the occasional regional hole in broadcast or sports coverage, you can watch virtually any program you desire with online services.

Now, with hundreds of video streaming services to choose from, you’re faced with another problem: Cobbling together the best options without paying a small fortune can be complicated. According to Deloitte’s 2019 digital media trends survey, the typical consumer reports subscribing to three paid streaming services. But that could be an underestimate. Many consumers use free, ad-supported options or forget about paid services they already have, says Kevin Westcott, who leads Deloitte’s U.S. telecommunications, media and entertainment team. “People appreciate the freedom to select the services and content they want, but it leaves many customers frustrated as they try to manage multiple streaming services,” he says.