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: Keep track of what you ‘re watching

Jared Newman   |   February 14, 2025

With so much to watch across so many streaming services, it’s entirely too easy to lose track of everything.

That’s where an app called Trakt comes in. Trakt can tell you where to watch pretty much any streaming show or movie, but it can also remember how much of a series you’ve watched and keep you in the loop on new episodes.

While Trakt has been around since 2010, it recently added a way to automatically track what you’re watching across a half-dozen major streaming services. It’s a key differentiator from other streaming guide apps such as Reelgood and JustWatch, whose show-tracking features require you to manage your watch history manually. The feature is part of Trakt’s VIP subscription, which costs $6 per month or $60 per year.

I received a temporary VIP membership to try out the automatic tracking, and while there’s bunch more I’d like to see from Trakt before paying that toll myself, it’s a promising glimpse at how streaming guides ought to work.

Read the full column on PCWorld →

Become an iPhone expert

Hey folks, I wanted to tell you about another great newsletter from my pals at iPhone Life. Every day, they share quick tips on things like decluttering duplicate photos, making the most of Apple’s Passwords app, and impressing your friends with cool iMessage tricks. I think it’s a valuable resource for becoming a savvier iPhone user.

The folks at iPhone Life are fans of Cord Cutter Weekly as well, so we’re introducing each of our newsletters to our respective readers this week. Check it out!

Weekly rewind

YouTube TV’s CBS blackout averted: On Wednesday, YouTube TV started warning customers that it might lose CBS channels in a carriage dispute with Paramount. But late last night, the companies agreed to a short-term extension that keeps the channels available.

A source told Matthew Keys that the companies are haggling over how to offset the slightly increased per-subscriber rates Paramount wants for its channels. To avoid raising YouTube TV prices, for instance, YouTube could get some extra ad inventory for Paramount content on YouTube proper. It’s unclear when the deadline for a new deal is now, but extensions like these lead to peaceful resolution more often than not.

Apple TV+ on Android: It only took five years, but you can now download the Apple TV app on Android phones and tablets. It supports Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass and looks similar to Apple’s iPhone and iPad apps. (Android TV/Google TV devices have supported Apple TV since 2021.)

There are omissions, though: You can’t access video purchases, rentals, or Apple TV Channels add-on subscriptions, and the app doesn’t support Chromecast yet. Still, it beats having to use Apple’s clunky website if you’re an Android user who wants to watch Severance on the go. The app offers a 7-day trial, but consider getting a one-month trial via this link instead.

(Related: It looks like Apple finally killed its three-month extended trials via Best Buy and Target. It was fun while it lasted.)

Everything’s unbundling: Here’s a notable factoid from The Hollywood Reporter: Last year, 14 of the top 50 TV broadcasts required a big bundle of pay TV channels to watch, be it via cable or a live TV streaming service such as YouTube TV. This year, the number will fall to zero.

That’s entirely because of ESPN and Fox, whose NFL coverage accounted for all 14 of those events, and which plan to launch their own unbundled services later this year. The Oscars, which were in the top 100, will also stream live on Hulu this year alongside the usual ABC broadcast. Pay TV packages aren’t dying anytime soon, but the future is people cobbling together a smaller array of standalone services to suit their needs, with some opportunities for more flexible bundling.

More catch-up

New here?

If you’re among the hundreds of folks who’ve arrived at this newsletter via iPhone Life, or you’ve recently found me some other way, I’ve got some resources to keep in mind:

Thanks for reading!

Got cord cutting questions for me? Just reply to this email to get in touch. I read everything and try to reply when time permits.

Until next week,
Jared

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