Hey there! I’m Jared Newman, and this is Cord Cutter Weekly, my newsletter on how to save money on TV and make the most of streaming.

Did someone share this newsletter with you? Sign up to get it in your own inbox.

This week on PCWorld: Ranking the Super Bowl viewing options

Jared Newman   |   February 7, 2025

If you’re looking for the best way to watch the Super Bowl in 2025, the answer is more complicated than it should be.

Between cable providers, live TV streaming services, free streaming options, and a trusty antenna, there are an assortment of ways to watch the game. Unfortunately, many of them offer varying levels of video and audio quality, yet it’s weirdly difficult to get precise details on what those differences are.

Seriously, I shouldn’t have to spend hours chasing down PR contacts and interrogating them on 4K, HDR, and surround sound options for the Super Bowl. This stuff should just be posted online by the companies involved.

But since they won’t, I will.

Read the full column →

Weekly rewind

Fox’s standalone streaming plans: Fox is finally unbundling. Later this year, the company plans to offer its own streaming service that includes news and sports from its cable channels. A source told Matthew Keys that current plans call for live access to Fox Sports 1 and 2, Fox News, Fox Business, and Fox-owned college sports networks, and I’m guessing Fox’s broadcast channel will be involved somehow.

These channels will of course remain available as part of big TV packages, and Fox wants everyone to know that it’s not trying to cannibalize the bundle. “We don’t want, and we have no intention of, turning a traditional distribution customer into our direct-to-consumer customer,” Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch told investors. “So, our subscriber expectations will be modest, and we’re going to price the service accordingly.”

Of course, that’s what every programmer says when it reaches this sort of breaking point. Much like ESPN, whose own service is coming this year, Fox needs the easy money that comes from cable, but it can no longer ignore the growing percentage of Americans who’ve abandoned traditional pay TV packages. Now it’s going to try having things both ways. We’ll see how that goes.

Sonos streaming box rumors: The Verge’s Chris Welch has new details on Sonos’ not-quite-officially-announced streaming box, which reportedly could cost between $200 and $400. Sources say the device will have several of its own HDMI ports for cable boxes and game consoles, and it’ll orchestrate connectivity with Sonos’ sound bars, subwoofers, and speakers better than other streaming players or smart TVs on their own.

There’s also talk of trying to bring the catalogs of services like Netflix and Disney+ into a unified menu system, but that’s what every streaming platform wants to do these days, and some gaps always remain. Sonos’ app fiasco notwithstanding, I’m at least intrigued by the idea of a swing-for-the-fences streaming box in an otherwise stagnant market.

PBS Passport reminder: Last week, I wrote about PBS stations streaming on Prime Video. While live channel streams and some on-demand content are free, Amazon also sells a $6 per month PBS Masterpiece add-on subscription with additional programming.

The subscription isn’t new, but reader Damon P. implored me to remind folks that PBS sells its own subscription called Passport in exchange for donations of $5 per month or $60 per year. You get the same programming, but all the money goes to PBS stations. Keep it in mind if you feel like Amazon makes enough already.

More catch-up

Save more money

Hey folks, I’m going to experiment with using affiliate links in this section of the newsletter, earning me a commission if you wind up subscribing to something in certain cases. I feel a little weird about it, which I wrote about here, and welcome your feedback.

You can still get three months of Peacock for free, but if you prefer something longer-term, the streamer’s also offering one year for $30 with promo code WINTERSAVINGS. That’s $10 more than Black Friday, but $50 off the usual price. The offer ends February 18.

Other notable deals:

This week in Advisorator: Read my impassioned defense of the humble computer file →

Thanks for reading!

If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party this year, I bestow upon you a blessing that the buffering gods be ever on your side. I’m going to check out Tubi’s 4K HDR stream with an antenna as a backup plan.

Got cord cutting questions for me? Just reply to this email to get in touch.

Until next week,
Jared

Did someone share this newsletter with you? Sign up to get it in your own inbox.