Hey folks, I'm sending out this week's newsletter a day early for two entirely coincidental reasons:

We'll be back to a regular Friday schedule in the next issue. Thanks!

For cord-cutters who’ve given up bloated TV bundles in favor of cheaper streaming services, March Madness can be frustrating.

To watch the full tournament—even without cable—you’ll still need access to CBS, TNT, TBS, and TruTV, and three of those four channels are only available through a pay TV package. That means paying for dozens of other channels you don’t want and enduring a sudden spike in your TV bill.

But if you’re willing to jump through some hoops, you can circumvent these requirements and watch much of March Madness—possibly even every game—for free. For details, read the full column on TechHive.

Netflix's password sharing pains: Netflix is testing a system that asks subscribers to pay more if they're sharing an account with someone outside the home. The test is currently limited to Chile, Peru, and Costa Rica, and will give subscribers an additional two "sub accounts" for around $3 per month. Netflix is also testing a profile transfer tool that helps password sharers graduate to their own separate accounts.

I hesitate to call this a "crackdown"—as many media outlets are—given that it's just a test in three small markets, and Netflix hasn't indicated that it will launch these specific programs elsewhere. I also have questions about how Netflix will prevent people from sharing accounts without paying extra, the way they can now.

Still, it's clear that Netflix wants to do something about password sharing as subscriber growth slows down. Whether it can clamp down without aggravating paying customers and encouraging more cancellations is probably what the company is now trying to figure out.

Hulu's DVR upgrade: Hulu is fixing the biggest problem with the DVR on its $70 per month live TV service. From April 13 onward, ad-skipping will no longer cost $10 per month extra, and the DVR will include unlimited storage for up to nine months per recording.

Hulu previously included 50 hours of storage in its DVR, and it charged $10 per month for an "Enhanced" DVR with 200 hours of storage and ad skipping privileges. The change will bring Hulu + Live TV in line with YouTube TV, which also offers unlimited recordings for up to nine months. (Note that ad skipping only works for shows you've saved to the DVR. Hulu's on-demand catalog still has commercials unless you pay $6 per month more for the ad-free version.)

Given that Hulu's live TV service now includes the full Disney bundle—that's Hulu on-demand, Disney+, and ESPN+—in its $70 per month price, the DVR upgrade may change the equation for some cord cutters. The Disney bundle costs $14 per month by itself, so if you're paying $65 per month for YouTube TV or FuboTV, adding the Disney bundle brings you to $79 per month. Hulu + Live TV is effectively $9 per month cheaper for those who want Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ year-round—with no more obnoxious DVR upsell to wipe out those savings.

In related news: Hulu has started offering Disney+ as a $3 per month add-on for on-demand subscribers who don't have Disney+ already. Think of it as a sports-free Disney bundle that cuts out ESPN+ for $4 per month less. With an ad-supported version of Disney+ coming later this year, I suspect we'll see a lot of testing from the House of Mouse to determine what people will pay for.

The HBO Max-Discovery merger: Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels has confirmed what we've long suspected: HBO Max and Discovery+ will eventually become one streaming service after WarnerMedia and Discovery merge.

It's not 100% clear that Discovery+ will go away as a standalone service, but if so, it will eliminate an inexpensive source of reality TV in favor of a more bloated service. Meanwhile, the companies have indicated that they'll use the merger to raise prices on traditional pay TV packages as well.

Gee, who could possibly have predicted that another media mega-merger would lead to fewer choices and higher prices? I can't think of anyone who saw this coming.

MLB TV is currently offering $10 off a full season of out-of-market games, bringing the price to $130 for all teams (except your local one) and $110 for a single team. But before you jump on that deal, keep two things in mind:

One more deal worth noting: Showtime is currently offering a 30-day trial for new subscribers, followed by three months for $4 per month.

Just a quick note that there will be no newsletter next week, as I'll still be on vacation then. We'll be back to the regular Friday publishing schedule on April 1. Enjoy the rest of your month, and let me know if I can answer any cord-cutting questions for you in the meantime.

Until next time,

Jared