NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — You know just about everything is more expensive these days, including how much you pay for TV. So how can you save?
Brady Doran says the bills to keep up with all his must-see shows add up, but he doesn’t want to miss out.
“We have Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, ESPN+,” Doran said. “If we can still watch what we want for less, I’m all ears.”
Consumer Reports has five ways to slash your streaming bill.
“First, you can become a service hopper- subscribing to a service, binging all the shows you want to watch, and then canceling," said Consumer Reports' James K. Willcox. "There are apps and websites like JustWatch and Reelgood that keep track of the shows and movies you want to see and let you know when they become available on the streaming services you use.”
Number 2: Consider a cheaper tier. Not long ago, streaming services offered only one price option. Now, many companies have added cheaper plans.
Shows come with commercials, but you’ll pay less. For example, Disney+ Premium is $13.99 a month. The basic plan is nearly half that at $7.99 a month.
Number 3: To keep track of all your streaming subscriptions, consider moving them to one credit card, which leads to tip number 4. Each month, review every service you’re paying for and determine whether you’re still using it enough to justify the cost. This can also help you catch any price hikes.
“Finally, you can save the most by using a free streaming service, like Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, or Tubi," he added. "These services have classic shows and movies, plus some original content too. In exchange for watching, though, you’ll have to put up with some ads.”
For people of my generation, in our younger days we spent part of our weekends watching music shows like American Bandstand and Soul Train. That was before the age of music videos. Several years before Soul Train was syndicated out of Chicago, another syndicated R&B show was taped in Nashville at NewsChannel 5. Night Train aired in the 60s and included what may have been the first TV appearance for legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Forrest Sanders has another great look back at station history.
-Lelan Statom