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It’s never been easier to cut the cord with some of the best deals on live TV streaming services and on-demand video platforms. Hulu is offering the best free trial with 30 days to watch its library of such Emmy-winning TV series as The Handmaid’s Tale, Only Murders in the Building and The Bear; podcast star Alex Cooper’s docuseries, Call Her Alex; and more hit content.
You can also get select streamers for free with memberships to other services. Instacart+ members get Peacock’s ad-supported Premium plan for free, Verizon Wireless subscribers get six free months of Disney+ Premium, DoorDash DashPass members get HBO Max for free and members of Walmart+ get Paramount+‘s ad-supported Essential plan for free.
If you’ve yet to sign up for Peacock, now’s a good time to lock in the NBCUniversal-owned platform’s existing rate before prices increase soon. The company is raising monthly prices by $3, so new annual subscribers only pay $79.99 to $139.99 for a full year.
For those unfamiliar with how streaming services work, all most people need is an internet connection to watch live TV and on-demand movies and shows. (Those in more rural areas may need satellite service.) Online cable alternatives such as Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV, Fubo, YouTube TV and others allow subscribers to watch local channels (including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CW and others) as well as national news, entertainment and sports networks such as CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, FS1, TBS, TNT, Lifetime, Investigation Discovery, Paramount Network and more.
At a Glance: The Best Streaming Service Free Trials and Deals Right Now
For those who don’t need live access to TV, streaming services such as Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, Starz, HBO Max and mother platforms offer on-demand access to original films, TV series, documentaries and other content
Below, we’ve rounded up all the best deals on streaming video-on-demand services and web-based TV providers, including DirecTV, Hulu, Starz and others.
AMC+
Plans from $6.99 monthly
Save on AMC+ at Prime Video and get a free seven-day trial when you bundle the service with other channels, including with MGM+ for $11.99 per month (reg. $16.98 monthly).
Free 7-day trial
Apple TV+
$9.99 per month or $99 per year
Try Apple TV+ (including through Prime Video) free for seven days to get a taste of award-winning Apple original series, Oscar-winning films Killers of the Flower Moon and CODA, Emmy-winning shows Ted Lasso and The Morning Show, Friday Night Baseball, soccer matches with the MLS Season Pass and more.
Best Apple TV+ deals:
Free 5-day trial
DirecTV
Packages on sale from $59.99 for the first month
In addition to the five-day free trial, eligible new subscribers can get DirecTV for as low as $59.99 for the first month and two free months of the HBO Max add-on.
Other DirecTV plans are on sale from on sale $79.99 to $124.99 for the first month and come with 90 to 185 or more sports, news and entertainment networks, including local ABC, CBS and NBC channels alongside CNN, ESPN, Food Network, ACCN, Ion TV, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime and more. Satellite plans are also available; learn more and sign up for DirecTV here.
The Best DirecTV streaming deals:
Disney+
Plans from $7.99 per month
Disney+ doesn’t offer a free trial period as of press time, but there are other ways to save on the House of the Mouse’s streaming service. Verizon offers six free months of Disney+ with select wireless packages, while Disney bundles let you save over 40 percent compared to individual subscriptions, and you’ll get access to content to Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and HBO Max, depending on the package you choose.
Best Disney+ streaming deals:
Free 7-day trial
Frndly
Packages from $6.99 per month
One of the most affordable live TV streaming services, Frndly offers a seven-day free trial and starts at $6.99 per month (with annual billing) for over 50 lifestyle and entertainment channels.
free 5-day trial
Fubo
Packages from $24.99 for the first month
As of press time, Fubo’s best streaming deal gets you a five-day free trial and your first month of service for as low as $24.99 per month.
HBO Max
Plans from $9.99 monthly
Now called HBO Max (again), the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streaming service doesn’t offer a free trial as of press time. The best deal on HBO Max is surprisingly at DoorDash, which offers the streamer’s ad-supported Basic plan for free with annual DashPass memberships for $8 per month.
It’s worth noting that AT&T no longer offers HBO Max with its wireless packages. (After AT&T-owned WarnerMedia merged with Discovery, the new company, Warner Bros. Discovery, discontinued streaming perks.)
The Best HBO Max streaming deals:
Free 30-day trial
Hulu
Plans from $9.99 per month
Hulu’s best streaming deal right now is with its 30-day free trial for the ad-supported plan, which auto-renews at just $9.99 per month. Save more than 40 percent when you expand your content library with Hulu’s bundles with Disney+, ESPN+ and HBO Max (from $10.99 per month) or get a three-day free trial with Hulu + Live TV that includes live TV streaming, Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ for $82.99 per month.
Best Hulu streaming deals:
three-day free trial
Hulu + Live TV
Plans from $82.99 monthly
Hulu + Live TV offers a three-day free trial to test out its TV streaming service, which comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+ (each costs $9.99 per month and up separately) and more than 95 local and major cable news, entertainment and sports channels.
MGM+
Get a free seven-day trial of MGM+ when you add the channel to Prime Video.
Free seven-day trial
Paramount+
Paramount+ doesn’t have any streaming deals at the moment, but new subscribers can try the streaming service for free with a one-week trial.
Paramount+ Essential is also included for free with Walmart+ memberships.
Best Paramount+ subscription deals:
best for streaming NBC
Peacock
Plans from $7.99 monthly
Peacock will increase prices by $3 per month on July 23 for new subscribers and Aug. 22 for existing customers, so the best way to lock in the best deal is by signing up for an annual plan before those dates. The NBCUniversal streaming service is currently $79.99 per year ($7.99 monthly) for the ad-supported Peacock Premium plan or $139.99 annually ($13.99 per month) for the ad-free Premium Plus package.
Although Peacock isn’t currently offering any free trials or deals, you can get the ad-supported plan for free with a subscription to Instacart+ ($99 per year).
The best Peacock streaming deals:
Seven-day free trial
Philo
Packages from $28 monthly
At $28 per month, Philo offers one of the best deals on TV streaming. New subscribers get their first seven days for free.
Best for prime Members
Prime Video
Free with Amazon Prime membership or $8.99 monthly
For a limited time, save on select Prime Video channel bundles, including AMC+ with MGM+ for $11.99 per month (reg. $16.98 monthly), Max with Starz for $20.99 monthly (reg. $27.98 monthly) and PBS Kids with PBS Masterpiece for $7.99 monthly (or $10.98 per month), to name a few.
Prime Video offers a generous 30-day free trial for new subscribers, and the streaming service is also included with Prime membership ($14.99 per month or $139 annually). Select Prime Video channels also offer free trials, including Apple TV+, Paramount+ and others.
You can also try Amazon Prime free for 30 days; the membership includes access to free same-, one- and two-day shipping on millions of products; access to exclusive deals and sale events (like Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales); unlimited photo storage; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh grocery stores; and more.
The Best Prime Video streaming deals right now:
Sling
Plans from $45.99 monthly
One of the best TV streaming services for sports fans, Sling lets you customize your lineup with one of three base plans: the individual Orange and Blue packages and the combined Orange & Blue tier. Plans include 50 or more news, entertainment and sports channels, and you can expand your network with the Sports Extra add-on, which includes Tennis Channel, NBA TV, ACCN, UESPN, MLB Network, NHL Network, SEC, ESPN News and more.
best for ‘Outlander’ fans
Starz
Plans from $45.99 for six months
Try Starz for $3 per month for your first three months when you sign up for the semi-annual plan, which is regularly $46.99 for six months.
Best Starz streaming deals:
- $3 per month for first three months or save 55 percent off first three months with monthly plan