Paramount+ problems, YES without cable
This week on TechHive: How to keep getting free Paramount+ (for now)
Paramount+ has always been easy to get for free if you know where to look, but now it’s getting a little trickier.
To drum up new subscribers, Paramount+ regularly hands out codes for a free month of service. These codes have worked for both new and returning subscribers, and you can even cancel shortly after signing up to avoid being auto-billed when the free trial expires. By repeating this process every month, it’s been possible to avoid paying for Paramount+ entirely.
Sometime in the last week, however, Paramount+ changed its sign-up flow, so it’s no longer clear if you’re getting a free month. Even curiouser, some users haven’t been able to redeem the codes without signing out of their accounts, then signing back in again. All this makes me wonder if Paramount’s preparing to close the free subscription loophole for good.
Read the full column on TechHive →
Weekly rewind
YES unbundles: The YES network has launched its own streaming service for in-market Yankees, Nets, and Liberty games. The regular price is $25 per month or $240 per year, but if you sign up by April 30, you’ll pay $20 per month through the end of 2023 or $200 for the first year. Apps are available for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV/Google TV, iOS, Android, and the web.
The move is part of a broader unbundling for regional sports as the cable model craters. NESN and Bally Sports also offer standalone streaming packages (though the latter only offers baseball in a handful of markets), and MSG plans to offer one this summer. MLB is also looking at backup plans as the entities behind Bally Sports and AT&T SportsNet seek bankruptcy protection.
While the price of these services is on the steep side—ranging from $20 to $30 per month—it beats having to pay for a big TV package if you otherwise don’t need it. (I also like The Streamable’s idea of pairing these standalone services with Sling TV for more complete sports coverage—especially if you can use an antenna for local channels.)
More cable news unbundling: Peacock is adding more cable news programming to its lineup, including live feeds of MSNBC’s Morning Joe and CNBC’s Squawk Box. It follows a move last year to bring some MSNBC shows to Peacock on-demand. Fox News has done the same for some of its primetime shows, bringing them to Fox Nation on a next-day basis.
Neither of these companies want to tank the cable TV business model overnight, but they still want to reach people who’ve given up expensive pay TV packages for good. Expect to see more gradual unbundling in the future as they try to walk that fine line.
More catch-up
- The latest Apple TV update can automatically dim flashing lights.
- Will MLB Network return to YouTube TV? A league exec is “optimistic.”
- Netflix’s ad-supported tier now works on Apple TV.
- But still no word on Disney+ with ads on Roku.
- Hulu’s interface may soon switch to sidebar menus.
Save more money
Keeping with annual tradition, T-Mobile is offering its customers a full season of MLB TV for free, but only if you redeem the offer by Monday, April 3. After doing so, you’ll be able to watch out-of-market baseball games on practically any device, including your TV. Just head to the T-Mobile Tuesdays app to sign up.
Other notable deals:
- Get 50% off three months of Peacock Premium with promo code APRILFOOLS2023. New subscribers only.
- Frontier internet customers can get $10 off YouTube TV for 12 months, but only for new subscribers.
- Get three months of Starz for $2 per month via Amazon Prime.
- Get a year of Britbox for $39 with promo code SPRING.
- Discover more up-to-date deals on the Cord Cutter Weekly website.
Thanks for reading!
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Until next week,
Jared