Streamers are offering Black Friday deals, but read the fine print before subscribing

Black Friday deals are everywhere at the moment and many of the major streaming services will soon announce special promotions to attract new customers.

If you’re thinking about “cutting the cord” or switching from a traditional cable provider to a streaming service, this might be a good time to give it a try.

“The offers that will come out will be attractive to new subscribers and will most likely be basic plans with advertising,” said Chad Gammon, a certified financial planner in Iowa, in an email interview.

While some streaming services may also offer deals on plans without ads, Gammon, which owns Custom Fit Financial, said these will come at a higher cost. So pay attention to the offers, but also pay attention to the terms and conditions.

Black Friday streaming deals trends

Some streaming services will be rolling out their Black Friday pricing in the coming days – and some have already started offering deals. For example, ESPN+ is running a promotion offering 12 months for the price of nine months if subscribers choose the annual plan. This offer is valid until December 2nd.

Last year’s Black Friday deals can be a good indication of what’s to come.

“Past Black Friday deals, like Hulu’s $1.99 per month deal, really show the breadth of savings,” said Clay Cary, senior trends analyst at CouponFollow, in a prepared statement.

“In most cases, packages like Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ provide the most value if your household uses multiple platforms,” Cary said.

We contacted these services about their Black Friday plans. According to Disney+, there are no deals to announce yet. Hulu and ESPN+ did not respond to requests for information.

Are Black Friday streaming deals worth it?

While you wait for the deals to drop, consider the different streaming plans, your budget, and whether a single service can give you all the programming you want.

With long contracts, poor service, lots of commercials and expensive monthly contracts, streaming services represent a cheaper alternative to cable providers. But do they keep this promise?

You have to look at the details

You may think you’re getting a great deal on a streaming service, but then realize it’s the version with ads. Pay attention to other details too. A streaming service may offer a seasonal deal, but with a plan that limits the number of devices that can stream simultaneously and the video quality may vary.

The crackdown on password sharing has also hit the streaming world hard, frustrating many consumers — and the alternatives aren’t great.

“Paid sharing options like Netflix’s have not been popular because they seem like an extra charge with no added value,” Cary said. “For budget-conscious viewers, these changes could lead them to turn to free, ad-supported services instead.”

You still have to pay for the internet

If you were hoping to cut ties with your cable provider, you may need to think twice. You still need the internet to use your streaming service. Many households bundle cable and internet costs. So if you’re going without cable, you’ll need to figure out a price for an internet-only plan.

If multiple people in your household are streaming at the same time, you may find that your old internet speed isn’t enough. Increasing your internet speed costs more, so you’ll need to adjust your budget accordingly.

You may need to subscribe to multiple services

If you’re a sports fan, have kids in the house, and their spouse likes shows from premium channels, you may need to sign up for three different streaming services to get all the content you want.

Signing up for multiple streaming services can be expensive and a real headache.

Gammon described this as “subscription fatigue,” where people subscribe to multiple services and end up not using them because they can’t find which programs are available on which streaming service.

To stay within their budget, Cary says consumers should “focus on platforms that fit what they actually watch rather than trying to subscribe to everything.”

Expect a price increase later

The excitement of getting a great deal won’t last forever.

“When special offers expire, prices can skyrocket worryingly and in some cases double,” Cary said.

“To avoid such surprises, remember to check your subscription before the discounted rate expires,” he said.

Check existing memberships for free subscriptions

Before signing up, ask yourself: How do streaming services fit into my budget? On a 50/30/20 budget, streaming services fit right into the 30% category, along with travel, entertainment, and dining out.

If you’re on a tight budget, check your current memberships, as some major retailers offer significant discounts or free subscriptions to streaming services. For example:

• Walmart+ members receive access to the Paramount+ Essentials plan as a benefit.
• Grocery chain Kroger is offering Boost members the chance to get Disney+ Basic (with ads), Hulu (with ads), or ESPN+ for free as part of their annual fee.
• Verizon is offering Verizon Home internet users free subscriptions to Netflix Standard (with ads) and Max (with ads) for one year and $10 per month thereafter. That’s a savings of $203 in the first year.

While most of these offers are basic plans with advertising, taking advantage of existing benefits is a cost-effective way to try one of these platforms.

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– Amanda Barroso writes for NerdWallet. Email: [email protected].

• The article Black Friday streaming deals: Read the fine print first originally appeared on NerdWallet.