How many streaming services do you pay and “borrow”?

[ElizabethT]

We get one service included free with TMobile (Netflix), and share four with family (Hulu, Amazon Prime, CBS/Paramount, commercial free YouTube).

If the sharing of services becomes squeezed out, we'll simply do a one-service-at-a-time workaround. Meaning we'll do one month (or whatever) of one service, cancel it, then do a different one. At about an hour of viewing a day on average, we already under-utilize our available services. It will therefore be no big deal to do them one at a time instead.

My thoughts in general are, the less important streaming is in my life, the less likely I am to be held hostage by streaming providers. I don't know about you all, but I resent tremendously being held hostage by any business entity, and try to thus avoid as much as I possibly can. The biggest monkey currently is internet service - we only have two providers here, and it is something I'm not willing to live without, so our options are limited. Thankfully not the case with streaming services!

 

[old medic]

We have Amazon but only because it comes with Prime. We didn’t join for streaming. .

Thats all we have, and only use it once in a while. Our son has given us all kinds of account info to use but never have. The only sharing would have been when I was still working. would sign in on our prime account there to watch free stuff included.

 

[Calico]

Pay for: Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, Britbox, Acorn

No sharing; no stealing.

 

[donheff]

Pay for Prime, Apple, and PBS Passport (contribution). Borrow my daughter's Netflix but it looks like we will be paying soon as they crack down.

 

[MichaelB]

We pay monthly for ad free Hulu bundle and Discovery Plus, and yearly for Amazon Prime. We get Netflix and Apple TV+ from T-Mobile.

Our HOA assessment includes Comcast and HBO, but I don’t include that because we would not otherwise subscribe.

I’m currenty considering dropping Discovery and replacing it with PBS Passpost.

Edit to add - no borrowing or lending.

 

[5Miler]

Pay for YTTV, Amazon Prime (never seem to watch), Acorn and Britbox.

Share Netflix with my sister's account but only use it occasionally to record a show for DGF using Playon Desktop.

I haven't watched tv in over 4 months but DGF is dedicated so we subscribe. I pretty much keep to standard Youtube for my viewing.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

None, do not need them, so much free stuff out there if one knows where to look. We do pay for a good quality UK based VPN Service which is about $1.99pm.

Shockwave, do you have access to the BBC and ITV on demand IPlayers? If so I'm interested in more details.
I use to have a VPN years ago but did not have as good internet as I do now so I gave it up.

 

[MarieIG]

DH pays for Amazon Prime for the shipping. I don't believe that I've ever streamed anything from them. I occasionally download and read a free book if this counts.

No, we don't "share"; and never have. The DW at my address has forbidden that. I do watch a lot of "educational" (financial, medical) and a few entertainment videos on YouTube.

 

[tmm99]

I only pay for Netflix and Hulu currently. Amazon Video too, but this is just a bonus. But I watched PBS a couple of months ago, Starz last month and I'm watching Acorn this month for free - I go to different channels on Prime Video and sign up for the 30-day free deals and cancel right away to get the one-month free with no obligations. They seem to let me do this once a year. Britbox only gives a one-week deal, so I will have to do it when I know I will have a lot of free time.

 

[Cobra9777]

We pay for YTTV, Netflix, and Prime. We share all 3 with DMIL who lives in a granny flat on our property.

We also cycle through lots of other streaming services (HBOMax, Disney+, Hulu, Britbox, MLB, Peacock, etc). Sometimes we subscribe. More often, one of our adult kids subscribes and shares the login with DW. Either way, these services never stick around more than a month or two.

I rarely watch any of the above. About 95% of my TV viewing is free YouTube. But everybody else likes keeping up with the latest trendy originals that you can only get with these services.

 

[Lakedog]

Don't pay for or share any streaming service, just over the air and free streaming since cutting the cord several years back.

 

[qwerty3656]

We pay for Netflix, Prime, and most recently YoutubeTV. I'll grab the other services for a few months at a time when they have deals. My kids have access to our logins and presumably use them at least once in a while.

 

[aja8888]

Now that I am a widower, I am reassessing the TV stuff.

DW liked Comcast as she had several programs she liked to record and watch later. I liked the Astros games and that required Comcast's AT&T SW pay channel. I can watch those for free next season at the local watering hole.

Comcast will be terminated or reduced to just a internet service next month.

I have Netflix and I can't remember the last time I watched anything on it.

I have Prime and order stuff, but no rush for dog food or anything else for that matter. It's going once I get near the renewal date. I think I watched a pro football game on it this year.

I have shared Netflix with DD but I believe she has her own subscription now.

Maybe I can save $150/month going forward here.

 

[tmm99]

Now that I am a widower, I am reassessing the TV stuff.

DW liked Comcast as she had several programs she liked to record and watch later. I liked the Astros games and that required Comcast's AT&T SW pay channel. I can watch those for free next season at the local watering hole.

Comcast will be terminated or reduced to just a internet service next month.

I have Netflix and I can't remember the last time I watched anything on it.

I have Prime and order stuff, but no rush for dog food or anything else for that matter. It's going once I get near the renewal date. I think I watched a pro football game on it this year.

I have shared Netflix with DD but I believe she has her own subscription now.

Maybe I can save $150/month going forward here.

So you don't watch TV much?

Just curious.

 

[Mark1]

0 share

0 buy (OK 1. I will admit I watched football on Prime this year, but that was it all year. I have Prime for free shipping really).

 

[aja8888]

So you don't watch TV much?

Just curious.

No, I only watch sports (never news or reality show stuff). But even the sports are turning into mostly commercials.

I read a lot in the evenings. During the day, I am outside a lot (golf, walking, etc).

I never was big into TV.

A few years ago, I started watching CNBC and their financial shows, but that almost had me start drinking again.

 

[Charlotte]

Pay for 2 (Amazon prime and Netflix)

Borrow-none

 

[pacergal]

Peacock comes with our Xfinity.
Pay for Disney+, Netflix (mostly for the kids and grandkids when they visit)
have Prime video via Amazon prime

Cancelled Discovery+ after we watched the few series we started it for.
Cancelled Apple TV, we forgot we had it and never watched anything

 

[gromit]

Pay: 0
Borrow: 0
I have many channels of OTA TV, and I also stream from free services.


Thanks to the music industry's concern over piracy, Tennessee passed a law, that went into effect in 2019, making it a crime to share a Netflix or other subscription based streaming site password. Violations are punishable by up to a $2500 fine and/or a year in jail.

 

[threeonesix]

No sharing.

Netflix
Amazon Prime (employer pays for my AP account)
Disney+ (includes Hulu & ESPN+)
DirecTV Stream GoBig package (beta tester so $50/mo discount, free HBO (and HBO Max) & Showtime, unlimited streams at home otherwise 3 streams total)

Total cost for me comes to around $80/mo.

Edit: I rarely watch AP but it's free to me for now; same for D+ which I only use for the ESPN+ access (have never used Hulu once)

 

[FlaMariner]

This topic is always one discussed w/the fam:

We pay for one (YouTubeTV) and we steal/borrow Netflix from the son and Amazon from the daughter.

So we have 3 apps and we each pay for one.

 

[djsander]

We have Amazon prime, and the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN bundle. Don’t watch espn but we are under the legacy plan and it’s cheaper than just disney+ and Hulu. I like many others got rid of our directtv years ago as cheaper and didn’t need most of it. Also, like many saw as streaming services were added that eventually people would pay as much with a wide range of streaming services to get everything they wanted. We sign up for the one week promotions or as at Christmas we used digital points to get the 1.99/month for two months to binge watch britbox and acorn. Also, just pay the rental fee for a movie now after it’s out for awhile usually $4 or less instead of the high movie theater prices. Can have our own popcorn and snacks and not be bothered by other people.

 

[iloveyoga]

No sharing here. Right now I am only paying for Peacock. I will go off and on some of the others when programs I like come on. We are still on cable also.

 

[OldShooter]

Outlier: None. It's been months since the TV has even been turned on.

 

[Healthy Lifestyle]

Outlier: None. It's been months since the TV has even been turned on.

I like your comment OldShooter.

We share Netflix with Son and He shares Amazon Prime with us. We also have basic cable with Comcast.
Overall, I feel I have plenty of TV, but nothing good worth watching right now.