When it comes to entertainment, streaming services are the customizable and budget-friendly way to enjoy the shows you love. But while cutting the chord was supposed to be the smart way to save on excessive entertainment and cable bills, streaming services keep raising their prices — and with more services available than ever, you may find yourself paying over $100 a month to watch the shows you love.
Also: The best early Black Friday deals
Besides enjoying spectacular deals from your favorite brands, this Black Friday, you can also save big on streaming devices — such as Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast Apple TV — and streaming services you love and, quite frankly, can’t live without. Streaming services such as Netflix, Paramount+, Hulu, Max, Apple+, and more are offering great deals ahead of Black Friday this week, and ZDNET has rounded them all up for you.
Keep reading to find the best streaming devices and services deals available right now.
Best early Black Friday 2023 streaming device deals
- Roku Premiere: Deal for $29 (save $6)
- Roku Ultra LT Streaming Device: Deal for $55 (save $25)
- Roku 43″ Smart TV: Deal for $230 (save $20)
- Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K: Deal for $25 (save $25)
Best early Black Friday 2023 streaming services deals
- Paramount+ with a Walmart+ membership: Free with Walmart+ subscription (save $5.99 per month)
- Sling Basketball Season Pass: Deal for $270 for 6 months (save $60)
- YouTube and YouTube Music ad-free: Free with a qualifying Best Buy purchase (save $10.99 for 3 months)
- Sling Blue or Orange, half off your first month: Deal for Orange $20 (save $20) or Blue $22.50 (save $22.50)
- Starz: Deal for $5 per month for 3 months (save $4 per month)
Best early Black Friday streaming VPN deals
- PureVPN: Deal for $1.83 per month on a five-year plan
- Private Internet Access VPN: Deal for $2.19 per month
- CyberGhost VPN: Deal for $2.19 per month (two-year plan, two months free, 45-day money-back guarantee)
- NordVPN: Deal for $3.79 per month (54% off, two-year subscription, three months free)
- AtlasVPN: Deal $1.64 per month on a three-year contract, six months free (save 86%)
More early Black Friday 2023 streaming device deals
- Current Price: $158
- Original Price: $190
If you’ve cut cable, a streaming device is your best bet to watch your favorite shows or movies. If having all things Apple is your thing, the Apple TV 4K will connect all your favorite devices and offer a 4K High Frame Rate HDR visual experience.
Beyond your favorite streaming services, you can download games, music, or news channels from the App Store. After a long day of work, my favorite thing is to open my Spotify app (sorry, Apple Music!) on the Apple TV and play my Unwind playlist as I cook and relax for the evening.
Also: The best streaming devices you can buy
- Current Price: $38
- Original Price: $50
Chromecast with Google TV is a great budget-friendly streaming device that helps you turn any TV into a smart TV. Plug the tiny device into your TV’s HDMI port and get access to Google Assistant and Google Play apps, or watch your favorite movies in 1080p high-definition resolution.
Review: Chromecast with Google TV
- Current Price: $110
- Original Price: $140
Amazon is known for its smart home devices, and the Fire TV Cube incorporates smart home features in a top-tier streaming device. Besides giving you access to your favorite streaming services, shows, or movies, you can control your TV, apps, and home devices with voice-control virtual assistant, Alexa, on the Amazon Fire TV Cube.
The Fire TV Cube supports Dolby Vision, HDR, and Dolby Atmos audio, so that you can get that cinematic experience from the comfort of your own home. Ahead of Black Friday, you can find the Fire TV Cube for $30 less.
Also: The best Fire TV players: Fire TV Stick, Cube, Lite, and more compared
- Current Price: $20
- Original Price: $40
The Amazon Fire TV Stick has made headlines ever since its release and as a result, has become a household name. Not only is it incredibly affordable, but its slick, thin, and small design hides behind your TV, transforming it into a smart one.
You can press the microphone button to access Alexa, use your Prime membership for shopping, or simply watch the latest shows or movies on Netflix, Hulu, Max, or Disney+. Right now, you can even find the budget-friendly Amazon Fire TV Stick for an even cheaper price since Amazon has it on sale for $20 for Cyber Week.
Also: Amazon Fire TV Stick comparison: How they stack up to each other
More early Black Friday 2023 streaming service deals
- Current Price: $10 per month
- Original Price: $11.99 per month
As a streaming service from NBCUniversal, Peacock offers everything from live TV and sports to blockbuster movies and award-winning shows. Currently, Peacock offers two monthly plans: a Premium plan for $5.99, currently on sale for $2.99 a month for the first six months, and a Premium Plus plan for $11.99 a month.
However, if you get the Annual Plan Deals, you can save $12 per year on the Premium plan and $24 per year on the Premium Plus. If you are a Spectrum TV customer, you can get Peacock for free. If you are a student, you can get Peacock Premium for $1.99 per month, saving you $48. There is currently no Peacock TV free trial, but you can cancel the service anytime.
Also: The best Netflix alternatives: Binge-watch elsewhere
- Current Price: $6.99 per month
- Original Price: $14.99 per month
Prime Video is available as part of the Amazon Prime membership for $14.99, or you can sign up for Prime Video on its own for $8.99 per month. If you sign up for the annual Prime membership, you can save $40 per year. The streaming service offers a wide range of movies, shows, sports, and even Amazon original films and series.
If you want some additional deals to save some cash, Amazon offers extra deals for qualifying users. Students can get a Prime monthly membership for $7.49 per month, which saves them $90 a year, or a $69 annual plan, which saves them $111 a year. Qualified government assistance recipients, including SNAP EBT and Medicaid recipients, can get Prime for $6.99, saving $96 annually.
Amazon also offers a 30-day free trial for non-Prime members and a Student 6-month free trial if you want to test the service before committing to it.
Also: The best video streaming services
- Current price: $12.50 per month
- Original price: $15.99 per month
HBO first launched its streaming service in 2020 as HBO Max. However, in May of this year, the service rebranded itself as Max to broaden its content offerings. Max offers two plans: A with Ads plan for $9.99 per month and an Ad-Free plan for $15.99 per month.
Also: The best VPN for streaming
Right now, HBO Max is running a Black Friday offer that makes its with Ads $9.99 per month plan, $2.99 per month for the first six months, a saving that comes out to 70% off.
- Current Price: $25 per month for the trio bundle with no ads
- Original Price: $43 per month for all three individually with no ads
Hulu offers several deals, especially when it comes to bundles. Currently, a Basic Hulu account is $7.99 per month with ads and $17.99 without ads and includes a 30-day free trial. If you are a student, you can get Hulu with Ads for $1.99 per month, saving you $6 monthly.
If you get the Disney Bundle Duo, you can get Disney+ and Hulu with ads for $9.99 per month or without ads for $20, saving you 37%. Or if you get the Disney Bundle Trio, which includes Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ you can get all three with ads for $14.99 per month or without ads for $25, saving you over 40% on all three services.
Also: The best live TV streaming services
This year Black Friday falls on Nov. 24, the day after Thanksgiving, while Cyber Monday falls on Nov. 27, the Monday after Thanksgiving.
However, as has been the case the past few years, many manufacturers and retailers are offering holiday discounts ahead of the Cyber Week deals event. Big retailers, such as Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart, are among those offering great deals on all sorts of tech products.
ZDNET only writes about deals we want to buy — devices and products we desire, need, or would recommend. Our experts looked for deals that were at least 20% off (or are hardly ever on sale), using established price comparison tools and trackers to determine whether the deal is actually on sale and how frequently it drops.
We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we’re recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing — in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter.
When it comes to streaming devices and services, it is honestly up to personal preference and budget. Most, if not all, of the tech giants offer their version of a streaming device that can turn your regular TV into a smart TV (if you don’t already have one). ZDNET’s pick for the best streaming device overall is the Apple TV 4K, which is also the one I own and love. But back when I was a college student, the Amazon Fire TV stick was my favorite due to its incredible value for price.
In terms of the best streaming services, picking a favorite truly depends on the shows and movies you love to watch. That is why we included the best deals available on all of the most popular services. However, if you really want to know my personal favorite, Hulu and Max are a non-negotiable must-have for me.
…. to be continued
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