Update on Cord Cutting (Cable TV) - 2021 version

[JoeWras]

FYI: Sling TV has a promotion right now (until 8/4) of "Free" service until Aug 20.

I say "Free," because they require you to put in your email and credit card info. They will charge you if you don't cancel before.

I'm tempted... but not sure I want another complication of forgetting something. I forgot my Paramount deal and got charged for full for 2 months because I wasn't paying attention. I apparently put the wrong date in my reminders.

Still, a good opportunity to try Sling if you ever thought it may be for you.

 

[REWahoo]

FYI: Sling TV has a promotion right now (until 8/4) of "Free" service until Aug 20.

Saw that and was tempted for a moment, but not going to bite.

I subscribe to Sling Orange for a few months each year to watch college football on the ESPN network. In the past I subscribed for five months, starting the first Saturday of the season (Sept 3 this year) but I've learned if I delay signing up until the second Saturday of the season (Sept 10) I can save a full month of subscription cost ($35 + tax). The final game of the season, the National Championship, will be on Monday, January 9, the day before my fourth subscription month expires.

This strategy results in me missing a few games that first weekend, which is not a big deal since most are little more than preseason scrimmages. Not that I really need that $35, but why waste it if I don't have to?

 

[JoeWras]

Saw that and was tempted for a moment, but not going to bite.

I subscribe to Sling Orange for a few months each year to watch college football on the ESPN network. In the past I subscribed for five months, starting the first Saturday of the season (Sept 3 this year) but I've learned if I delay signing up until the second Saturday of the season (Sept 10) I can save a full month of subscription cost ($35 + tax). The final game of the season, the National Championship, will be on Monday, January 9, the day before my fourth subscription month expires.

This strategy results in me missing a few games that first weekend, which is not a big deal since most are little more than preseason scrimmages. Not that I really need that $35, but why waste it if I don't have to?

Notice how they timed this to just avoid the first college games?

 

[REWahoo]

Notice how they timed this to just avoid the first college games?

Yep. Obvious play to get an extra month out of subscribers to avoid missing many of the big time bowl games and the college playoffs.

 

[RonBoyd]

I'm tempted... but not sure I want another complication of forgetting something. I forgot my Paramount deal and got charged for full for 2 months because I wasn't paying attention. I apparently put the wrong date in my reminders.

So, you are looking for a babysitter?

 

[GenXguy]

I say "Free," because they require you to put in your email and credit card info. They will charge you if you don't cancel before.

I heard about this a few days ago, but as soon as I saw a CC was required, I didn't give it a second though. I don't have time to watch any more crap anyway. lol

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Apple is offering three months of free AppleTV+ to Apple Card holders, even for existing subscribers. I don’t have the link anymore but a quick Google search should find it. You have to remember to cancel in three months, though.

 

[Z3Dreamer]

Is Sling Blue + Orange my best bet for cheap football? $50. Youtube TV is $64.99. Spectrum is $55 but I also have a fee for Local Broadcast Surcharge of $22. And with Spectrum, I can only watch it from my home network (most of the channels).

I may continue through the end of March Madness.

 

[REWahoo]

Is Sling Blue + Orange my best bet for cheap football? .

Yes, that appears to be the case.

 

[MBSC]

Is Sling Blue + Orange my best bet for cheap football? $50. Youtube TV is $64.99.

I may continue through the end of March Madness.

Sling has broadcast channels in only a few markets so you may need an antenna. For college football and basketball I have Sling Orange+Sports at $46 + tax. I don't get NFL/FS1 like you would but I gain ESPNU, SEC/SEC+, ACC/ACCx, 6 regional PAC-12 networks and Longhorn Network.

For the occasional game on NFL network I want to watch, I can easily switch to Blue+Sports anytime so it's basically included in the price. There may be restrictions on switching during the first month. I didn't learn about this feature until later.

Q: Can you switch each day? Say I want Orange on Saturday, Blue on Sunday and then Orange again Monday-Saturday.

What about switching quicker than that? Let’s say FS1 on Blue has a game in the afternoon I want to watch, and then ESPN on Orange has a game in the evening. Can I switch that quickly?
A: Yes to all that.

 

[REWahoo]

HBOMax is offering 40% discounts if you sign up for a yearly plan:

With Ads - $69.99/year (~$5.80/month)

Ad-Free: $104.99/year (~$8.75/month)

Offer runs until the end of October.

 

[JoeWras]

HBOMax is offering 40% discounts if you sign up for a yearly plan:

With Ads - $69.99/year (~$5.80/month)

Ad-Free: $104.99/year (~$8.75/month)

Offer runs until the end of October.

And a quick reminder for anyone who has AT&T internet. You get HBOMax for free. I don't know how long this will last because the company structures have changed.

To use it, choose "sign in with provider" on your app, then on the AT&T provider screen, use your general account log in. You don't need to have U-verse or DirectTV to access this benefit.

 

[Midpack]

And a quick reminder for anyone who has AT&T internet. You get HBOMax for free. I don't know how long this will last because the company structures have changed.

To use it, choose "sign in with provider" on your app, then on the AT&T provider screen, use your general account log in. You don't need to have U-verse or DirectTV to access this benefit.

Must be regional. HBOMax is (was? **) free with AT&T Fiber 1000, but not with 500 or 300 mbps service in our area. We know because we just switched down. Evidently AT&T offers (had?) free HBOMax with higher tier mobile plans as well, don’t know the details.

AT&T has quietly ended a promotion that bundled free access to HBO Max with some of its top-tier fiber Internet packages.

The promotion allowed subscribers of AT&T Fiber’s Internet 1000, Internet 2000 and Internet 5000 tiers to get complementary access to HBO Max as part of their service.

The deal began when AT&T owned WarnerMedia, the parent company that operates the multiplex HBO premium cable network and the HBO Max streaming service. It continued after AT&T spun off WarnerMedia into a separate company, one that ultimately merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros Discovery.

AT&T says its promotion offering HBO Max to Fiber customers ended on Sunday. Fiber customers who received complementary access to HBO Max will continue to enjoy a free subscription as long as they keep their Internet service active and actually use the streaming service.

** https://thedesk.net/2022/06/hbo-max-att-fiber/

 

[JoeWras]

Must be regional. HBOMax is free with AT&T Fiber 1000, but not with 500 or 300 mbps service in our area. We know because we just switched down. Evidently AT&T offers free HBOMax with higher tier mobile plans as well, don’t know the details.

Ah, thanks for the clarification.

 

[zinger1457]

HBOMax is offering 40% discounts if you sign up for a yearly plan:

With Ads - $69.99/year (~$5.80/month)

Ad-Free: $104.99/year (~$8.75/month)

Offer runs until the end of October.

If you have an Amex CC you can also get an additional $25 off the ad-free yearly plan.

 

[COcheesehead]

Is Sling Blue + Orange my best bet for cheap football? $50. Youtube TV is $64.99. Spectrum is $55 but I also have a fee for Local Broadcast Surcharge of $22. And with Spectrum, I can only watch it from my home network (most of the channels).

I may continue through the end of March Madness.

We are usually out doing things on Sunday’s and I miss live NFL games many times. I discovered that YouTube plays condensed versions of all the NFL games for free about an hour ish after the game ends. The condensed replays run about 12-15 minutes and you see all the important plays, not just touchdowns.

 

[JoeWras]

We are usually out doing things on Sunday’s and I miss live NFL games many times. I discovered that YouTube plays condensed versions of all the NFL games for free about an hour ish after the game ends. The condensed replays run about 12-15 minutes and you see all the important plays, not just touchdowns.

Yeah, pretty cool.

For NHL fans, you can get the condensed games for FREE from the NHL app, also about 1 hr after game completion. We now watch the games that way until the end of season drama when we subscribe to D-Stream for a month.

The NHL condensed games come in two flavors: 1) Goals and other highlights, about 9 minutes. 2) Nothing but the goals and big saves, about 5 minutes.

 

[explanade]

And a quick reminder for anyone who has AT&T internet. You get HBOMax for free. I don't know how long this will last because the company structures have changed.

To use it, choose "sign in with provider" on your app, then on the AT&T provider screen, use your general account log in. You don't need to have U-verse or DirectTV to access this benefit.

Those bundles with free HBO Max originated from when AT&T owned HBO Max and other Warner Brothers media properties.

They sold the media properties to Discovery so around here AT&T Fiber offers you a $150 or $200 gift card for signing up for a year.

 

[JoeWras]

Those bundles with free HBO Max originated from when AT&T owned HBO Max and other Warner Brothers media properties.

They sold the media properties to Discovery so around here AT&T Fiber offers you a $150 or $200 gift card for signing up for a year.

Yeah, that's what I meant by company structures changing.

I suspect this will be removed from my account within the year.

 

[Midpack]

Yeah, that's what I meant by company structures changing.

I suspect this will be removed from my account within the year.

From my post above, looks like you can keep it indefinitely.

AT&T says its promotion offering HBO Max to Fiber customers ended on Sunday. Fiber customers who received complementary access to HBO Max will continue to enjoy a free subscription as long as they keep their Internet service active and actually use the streaming service.

 

[JoeWras]

From my post above, looks like you can keep it indefinitely.

Great! I'm a fount of misinformation on this thread. I need to shut up and keep enjoying my HBOMax.

 

[ncbill]

HBOMax is offering 40% discounts if you sign up for a yearly plan:

With Ads - $69.99/year (~$5.80/month)

Ad-Free: $104.99/year (~$8.75/month)

Offer runs until the end of October.

"first year only"

I guess you can just switch emails like I do for Hulu each year.

 

[ls99]

Recently got a Dollar from Nielsen for inducement to take their survey, with promise of $10 if I do it.
Lots of TV and streaming related questions. To all of which my answer was no. No TV, no cable TV, no Over the air tv, no internet streaming. Also tons of questions on junk food and junk drinks, thay also received No.
Yes a week later did get $10 in the mail, as promised.

 

[ivinsfan]

Recently got a Dollar from Nielsen for inducement to take their survey, with promise of $10 if I do it.
Lots of TV and streaming related questions. To all of which my answer was no. No TV, no cable TV, no Over the air tv, no internet streaming. Also tons of questions on junk food and junk drinks, thay also received No.
Yes a week later did get $10 in the mail, as promised.

Well that's all well and good but now you have nothing fun to spend the 10 bucks on...

 

[old medic]

Getting a taste of what we are missing by not paying for TV services of some kind... Got cable in the cabin we are renting... Spent 30 minutes scanning channels before leaving it on local news since there is nothing on worth watching.