Cheaper options, exclusive programming and global pandemics are all reasons to cut the cable cord and utilize streaming services. Credit: Christian Harsa | Asst. Photo Editor
Cheaper options, exclusive programming and global pandemics are all reasons to cut the cable cord and utilize streaming services. Newer platforms, such as Peacock and HBO Max, seem to emerge every year, and the decisions to add or switch services can get overwhelming.
We’ve compiled the research, from student discounts to new releases, in order to make your decision to cut the cord easier.
- Beginning this year, Netflix announced its plan to release a new movie every single week in 2021. Some titles coming to the service this year include Lin Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut “Tick, Tick… Boom!” starring Andrew Garfield and Vanessa Hudgens, and the finales to the “To All The Boys” and “The Kissing Booth” trilogies.
- Cost: $8.99 to $13.99 monthly depending on the number of screens.
- Popular titles such as “90 Day Fiance: Self Quarantined” and “Mixed-Ish: Season 2” will be returning to Hulu in 2021, along with Hulu original premieres. Comedy series “Only Murders In The Building,” starring and produced by Steve Martin alongside Selena Gomez, and biopic “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” starring Andra Day will both premiere in 2021.
- Cost: Students can get Hulu on-demand for $1.99 monthly. However, for Hulu + Live TV, the price jumps to $64.99 monthly. Additionally, students can purchase a bundle subscription of Spotify Premium, Hulu and SHOWTIME for $4.99 a month, with the first three months free.
- Disney’s newest princess, “Raya and the Last Dragon,” will premiere in 2021, alongside Marvel’s new arrivals “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “Loki,” “Hawkeye” and “Ms. Marvel.” “Pixar Popcorn,” Disney’s series of mini shorts, will also be featuring characters from “The Incredibles,” “Coco,” “Toy Story” and more this year.
- Cost: $6.99 monthly, increasing to $7.99 in March 2021.
- Sports fans can expect to see virtually any sporting event live and enjoy all of the premium content available on the platform. This past month, ESPN+ announced the arrival of the NHL 2020-2021 hockey season to the platform.
- Cost: $5.99 monthly, but for $12.99 monthly, consumers can purchase a bundle package of Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+.
- With 85-plus live streaming channels available such as local ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN stations, YouTube TV serves as a practical replacement for standard cable television.
- Cost: $64.99 monthly for one membership to share with up to six accounts.
- New titles coming to Amazon Prime include “Bliss” with Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek, a Lebron James-produced docuseries following a top-ranked high school basketball team called “Top Class: The Life and Times of Sierra Canyon Trailblazers,” and teen rom-com “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things.”
- Cost: Six-month free trial before $6.49 monthly for an Amazon Prime Student subscription — includes access to Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime free two-day shipping.
- Apple-original series “The Snoopy Show” featuring The Peanuts, “Palmer” starring Justin Timblerlake, hard-hitting drama “Cherry” and Billie Eilish biopic “The World’s A Little Blurry” are all coming to Apple TV+ in 2021.
- Cost: $4.99 monthly. Students subscribed to Apple Music have access to Apple TV+ free of charge.
- HBO Max’s “Euphoria” will be returning in 2021, alongside new arrivals historical drama “Judas and the Black Messiah” starring Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield, psychological thriller “The Little Things” starring Denzel Washinton, Jared Leto and Rami Malek, and season four of “Axios.”
- Cost: $14.99 monthly, but the first six months will be discounted by 20 percent.
- “The Office,” “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago Med” and “Chicago P.D.” are all now streaming exclusively on Peacock. Additionally, the site hosts the new “Saved by the Bell” reboot, “The Amber Ruffin Show” and Ted Danson in “Mr. Mayor.”
- Cost: Peacock has three tiers of subscription: a limited free one and two all-inclusive ones that are $5.99 or $10.99 for no ads.
- Passport grants members access to PBS and local television programming. Selections available include “Ohio State Football Classics,” a collection of Ken Burns projects, documentary series “American Masters” and more.
- Cost: $5 monthly. Passport is included in WOSU station membership.
