Streaming Services
About 10 years ago I gave up on cable because it was too expensive, and, no matter how many channels I had, it seemed like there was never anything on. Plus, I always seemed to miss shows, which is probably why I often bought them when they came out on DVD. So I made the decision to transition over to streaming services.
At the time it was mostly just Netflix and Hulu. Netflix had a lot of full seasons of shows I hadn’t watched, but wanted to check out, and some old favorites I wanted to watch again. Hulu also had some old favorites, but also new shows, where you could watch new episodes the day after it had aired. They both had movies, the selections weren’t always great, but you could usually find something. Back then Hulu wasn’t just a paid subscription, like it is now. You actually had two options, free subscription, with ads, and paid, without ads. Both streaming services gave me options I liked, and nicely filled out my watching needs. These days I have added Disney+, because, well… They own everything.
These days the number of streaming services is dizzying, and they all offer content you can only get if you’re a subscriber. Some of them you can even get as an ad-on with another service (for an extra fee). On one hand, I kind of get it, they want to stay current and make money. But on the other hand, it feels like cable all over again. Because each one has something I want to watch, but also a lot I don’t care about, and of course… there is the expense.
So one day I was thinking, what if I just didn’t want to pay for services anymore? Because times are tough, you know? So I started looking, and found out that there are free streaming services out there, and they even have content I like.
Free Streaming Services:
Note: Some of these services may have paid content as well, but you don’t need to chose that option, and you don’t need to give them credit card info. Even if they do have paid options, they definitely have some decent free stuff to check out.
Peacock
They have a lot of NBC, and USA Network shows. You can find Psych, Saved by the Bell, Parks & Rec, and so many more. Plus movies, including The Blues Brothers, and The Fifth Element.
CW Seed
They have a watch live option, and you can stream some great shows like Pushing Daisies, Schitt’s Creek, and Girlfriends, as well as some new shows like Batwoman.
Crackle
Nice selection of classic and modern shows and movies. Do you remember the show 227? Well, you can find it here. Along with 21 Jump Street, Barney Miller, Bewitched, and some modern stuff like Being Human, and Hell’s Kitchen.
IMDBtv
This is one of the few I haven’t really checked out yet, but a quick look showed me they do have a decent selection of shows and movies for free.
TubiTV
The have a nice selection of movies and TV Shows, both classic and modern, and even have some organized by channel (FOX, A&E, Lifetime, etc), they also have a section for kids with shows like Naruto, and Littlest Pet Shop, and of course some kid friendly movies.
Crunchyroll
This is where you go for a majority of your anime needs, older ones and new ones alike.
There might be more out there, but these are the ones I personally have watched, or at least took a look at. There are just so many streaming services now it’s really hard to keep up with them.
What streaming services, free or not, do you watch?
