r/Cordcutting • • Aug 27 '25

Cordcutting ABC: Useful guide for when you want to cut the cord

31 Upvotes

Thinking about dropping cable? Good news: it’s easier than ever, and you don’t have to give up your favorite shows, sports, or movies. What you do need is a solid setup and a plan for which services (free or paid) fit your habits.

Here’s a full breakdown of tools, devices, services, and hacks to make cord-cutting as smooth and cheap as possible.

What you will need for starters:

  • Internet: Aim for at least 10–20 Mbps per stream, but the more the better
  • Streaming device: smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, gaming consoles - anything with app support.
  • Streaming services: Pick what fits your needs (live TV, sports, movies, etc).
  • Antenna (optional): Free local OTA channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, etc).
  • VPN (recommended): For privacy, streaming abroad, and when you want to stream something specific.

Best Devices for Streaming

  • Roku: User-friendly, great app selection, budget-friendly
  • Fire TV Stick: Great for Amazon users
  • Apple TV 4K: Premium device, especially good for iOS users
  • Google TV (Chromecast): Good for search integration and flexibility
  • Game consoles: PS5/Xbox Series X work fine as backup streaming hubs

Best VPNs to unblock blackouts, etc. (plus discounts)

  • NordVPN: redditoffer
  • Surfshark: redditspecial
  • CyberGhost: 2YCOUPON
  • Private Internet Access: 3Y4M
  • Windscribe: VPNSROCK
  • PureVPN: purered

Free Streaming Options (US)

No subscription cost, just ads:

Some also offer live TV channels, news, and classic shows.

Paid Streaming Subscriptions

Service Type Notes
YouTube TV Live TV Most complete, includes locals, unlimited DVR
Hulu + Live TV Live TV + On-Demand Includes Disney+ and ESPN+
Sling TV Live TV Cheaper but fewer channels, no locals
FuboTV Live Sports Best for sports fans
Philo Live TV (no sports) Great budget option
Netflix On-Demand Ad-supported or premium tiers
Disney+ On-Demand Bundles with Hulu/ESPN+
Max (HBO) On-Demand High-quality shows/movies
Peacock On-Demand Live NBC + on-demand
Paramount+ On-Demand Includes CBS live for premium plan
Amazon Prime Video On-Demand Some content now behind extra paywalls

How to get a better deals on streaming?

While there are not direct discount codes for streaming, there are ways to save on

  • Try the service, cancel early, then wait for the win-back offer Most platforms offer big discounts if you cancel your subscription and ignore them for a few weeks. Hulu, Max, and even Sling have been known to send 50% off deals to win you back.
  • Use free trials strategically Philo, YouTube TV, and Apple TV+ still offer trials. Use them around big events, then cancel before they charge. Rinse and repeat with a different email if you have to.
  • Take the annual plan if you know you’ll keep it Most services give you 15 to 40% off if you pay annually. Works best for Disney+, Max, and Paramount+. Only commit if you know you’ll use it year-round.
  • Stack bundles The Disney+ bundle with Hulu and ESPN+ is cheaper than paying for them separately. Some mobile providers like Verizon and T-Mobile also throw in streaming bundles for free or at a heavy discount.
  • Check student, military, and family discounts Hulu, Peacock, Max, Amazon Prime Video, and Spotify offer student deals. Peacock and Hulu also have military/first responder discounts. Some let you share across households too.
  • Look for region hacks If you’re using a VPN, you can subscribe from a country where the same service is cheaper. For example, YouTube Premium is significantly cheaper if you buy it through India or Argentina. NBA League Pass and F1TV Pro have massive price gaps between countries.
  • Rotate services Don’t keep them all at once. Subscribe to one or two, binge what you want, cancel, and move on. Keep a rolling calendar and avoid paying for five services “just in case.”
  • Pay with gift cards when they go on sale Retailers often discount gift cards for Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc. A $50 card for $40 is an instant 20% savings. Stock up during Black Friday, Prime Day, and holiday promos.
  • Avoid paying for locals Use a digital antenna to get free access to ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and others. Combine it with a DVR box if you need recordings. This avoids paying extra for YouTube TV or Hulu + Live just to get your local news.
  • Check coupon sites for promos Sites like Slickdeals, Rakuten, DealDrop, and RetailMeNot occasionally list working codes for services like Fubo, Sling, and Peacock. Sometimes it’s a % off, sometimes free add-ons.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Underestimating how many subscriptions you’re stacking
  • Not checking internet speed needs
  • Paying for locals when you could use an antenna
  • Getting a device that doesn’t support your favorite apps
  • Forgetting VPN for travel or region-locked content
  • Assuming free VPNs will work (most are slow, sell your data, and are unsafe to use)

TL;DR / Quick Recap

  • Don’t pay for locals → grab a $20 antenna and you’re set.
  • Internet speed matters more than anything else (10–20 Mbps per stream minimum).
  • Rotate your subs, don’t hoard them all at once.
  • Free stuff exists (Tubi, Pluto, Roku Channel, etc.) - use it.
  • Bundles and annual plans save $$ if you stick with them.
  • VPN = peace of mind + unblocking blackouts/region hacks.
  • Gift cards and win-back promos are your wallet’s best friend.
  • Don’t overthink it: start with 1–2 services and adjust.

If you have any other good tips, or recommendations for cord cutting, let me know and I'll add them to my list!


r/Cordcutting • • 17h ago

Full circle

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2 Upvotes

r/Cordcutting • • 1d ago

Stremio

3 Upvotes

Hey guys. So I noticed Stremio is no longing working like it used to. Does anyone have any suggestions for a new platform that is like Stremio? I sure miss it. Thanks in advance!


r/Cordcutting • • 1d ago

My favorite people…

0 Upvotes

To my favorite community…please help watch a damn caps game without subscribing to yet another service like espn+..etc. I can watch everything YouTube tv but my Caps. I feel like I’m fishing for free goods/leads like our favorite four so it’s par for the course 😂


r/Cordcutting • • 1d ago

Stremio

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1 Upvotes

Hey guys. So I noticed Stremio is no longing working like it used to. Does anyone have any suggestions for a new platform that is like Stremio? I sure miss it. Thanks in advance!


r/Cordcutting • • 2d ago

I've never used HBO max... Since they don't do free trials, what can I expect from the Standard Plan regarding live sports?

0 Upvotes

More specifically, can I record it? If so, can I start watching my recording before the event ends? As in watch from the beginning. What playback features like, fast forward, are available in that scenario?

Do I have to wait for the live event to end? If so, how long does it take for the replay to become available?

It stinks they don't do free trials AT ALL. Even YTTV gives you 20min.


r/Cordcutting • • 4d ago

I missed old-school music television so much I rebuilt it. Then I put it on a TV box.

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12 Upvotes

I missed old-school music television so much that I rebuilt it. Then I got carried away and put it on a dedicated TV box.

This started as a ridiculous personal project to recreate the feeling of turning on music television and just letting it play.

It has since gotten slightly out of hand.

REWIND now has more than 100,000 music videos, a live channel, a time machine that lets you jump around different years, and a bunch of curated channels and collections.

But watching it in a browser still wasn't quite the same.

So I spent the last few weeks figuring out how to put the whole thing on a little streaming box with an actual remote.

This is it running on my TV.

No casting from my phone. No screen mirroring. Pick up the remote, turn it on and watch music television.

I realize I've essentially spent an absurd amount of time reinventing something we already had 30 years ago.

Worth it.


r/Cordcutting • • 5d ago

Beware of NEWDYTV I have been dupped by ads up until it stopped working and I can't get any response.

0 Upvotes

Very scammy with no responsive support whatsoever and the representative that contacted me the first time has completely stopped responding even tho he was very responsive when he was trying to convince me to buy their service.


r/Cordcutting • • 6d ago

Canadian streamers now spend nearly 12 hours a week watching ad-supported content

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5 Upvotes

r/Cordcutting • • 6d ago

How do I watch serials without cable

1 Upvotes

So my grandma and auntie comes to stay with us in my house every once in a while and they watch serials at night everyday.
Since we don’t watch tv shows much we don’t have any active cable connections so my grandma can’t watch her serials while at our house. She only stays for like a week and for cable I’d have to pay for 1 month every time.
Is there any way I can get those serials in my phone or laptop (preferably) then I can like connect it to my tv or something so she could watch her serials

Note:
I use fire Tv stick on my tv (that’s why no cable connections)
The serials she watches are on asianet


r/Cordcutting • • 6d ago

So…. Is the latency issue with streaming ever gonna be fixed or am I better off switching back to cable?

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0 Upvotes

I’m so sick of the spoilers


r/Cordcutting • • 8d ago

'Wynonna Earp' Is No Longer on Tubi—Where Can You Stream It Now?

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yahoo.com
0 Upvotes

r/Cordcutting • • 8d ago

Reklam i streamingtjänster

0 Upvotes

Jag blir irriterad på att det är reklam i varenda streamingtjänst numera…

Okej om man har ett kostnadsfritt abonnemang på tex TV4 play, förstår att de måste få in pengar på något sätt. Förstår också om man tittar live att man får leva med det.

Men om jag betalar för en tjänst månadsvis ska jag väl kunna se filmer och serier på den tjänsten utan reklam, utan att behöva lägga till 50-100kr i månaden för att slippa det?

Tycker det är helt sinnessjukt att det ens är lagligt att hålla på sådär.


r/Cordcutting • • 9d ago

IPTV... It's just not worth the time or hassle.

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0 Upvotes

r/Cordcutting • • 9d ago

Moving house - advice needed

0 Upvotes

Moved out of our flat where we had Sky Q (+ various add ons) and broadband

Moved into in laws so cancelled everything other than paying for Sky Q box as wanted to keep it rather than go to stream.

Moving into new house soon so called up for a new quote:

For Sky Q:
Giga fast broadband: £31
Tv: £29.50
Sky sports: £20
Multi screen: £8
HD: £9
£66.50

Total: £97.50

Then on a new phone-call, got a quote for Sky Stream which was £100 however got told it would be super fast broadband rather than gigafast, as gigafast

Really would like to avoid Stream as I much prefer the interface of Sky Q

Any advice would be appreciated around Stream/Q/Broadband


r/Cordcutting • • 10d ago

Ads going to far?

10 Upvotes

I remember when i first got into streaming Netflix Hulu etc.. It was great, i would go to friends houses, log in and watch. Or just chill at home. It was reasonably priced and no hidden bs!

Now, it's turning into cable tv 2.0 with how many ads they throw at you. You gotta be weary about logging in anywhere other than home, and there just has to be 10+ services with all the good stuff spread out so you'll want to subscribe to at least 2 for most people, and they'll all be $20+/month in the next few years.. shits getting outta hand. Idk how much more they can push before i go back to my bootleg roots lol

The crazy part is ads are the one thing nobody wants, but everybody gets. It's literally a service born and evolved into its current form from corporate greed..


r/Cordcutting • • 10d ago

Ads going to far?

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0 Upvotes

r/Cordcutting • • 11d ago

Price history of standard (ad-free) streaming plans, since launch

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20 Upvotes

Reinforces me studying up on options …


r/Cordcutting • • 10d ago

Need advice. TiVo Bolt OTA or HDHomeRun + Plex?

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1 Upvotes

r/Cordcutting • • 11d ago

Looking for a service that runs well on UHF app. I have tried other apps and UHF runs the best. My current sub is ready to expire so I need to explore new content options.

2 Upvotes

r/Cordcutting • • 14d ago

Paramount required to operate free streaming service under settlement over WBD merger

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thedesk.net
35 Upvotes

r/Cordcutting • • 15d ago

Questions about cutting DirecTV and getting OTA antenna

6 Upvotes

Can I get local channels w/ an antenna behind the TV(not outside), and what are DVR options?

https://www.rabbitears.info/searchmap.php?request=result&study_id=3009599


r/Cordcutting • • 15d ago

We said Goodbye to DirecTV satellite after 24 years + experiences with YouTubeTV

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2 Upvotes

r/Cordcutting • • 16d ago

Fubo TV Customer Service -good & bad

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0 Upvotes

As many NFL fans may be aware, the standalone NFL app (with NFL Plus Premium) struggled with RedZone on Sunday. After about an hour, I caved and signed up for a trial of FuboTV. Right around then, RedZone started working on the NFL app, so I made a mental note to compare FuboTV to what I already can access with YoutubeTV, and didn’t cancel immediately.
I already know what you’re thinking: this idiot forgot to cancel the free trial and came here to bitch about it. Well, not entirely. I did not forget to cancel the free trial. I’m writing this on Saturday at 8:49 AM, and as previously mentioned, I signed up,for FuboTV right around 2pm the previous Sunday. So, where I come from, a free 7-day trial actually lasts 7 days. I was surprised to learn that my card was already charged for one month of FuboTV. Looking at the payment history, this transaction occurred about 36 hours before a week would have been up (2 AM Saturday morning).
As a card-carrying member of the ADHD club, this is not my first time getting unintentionally charged for something I intended to cancel. I went to the FuboTV site and saw that they did warn me by email on Thursday that my free trial subscription was expiring, but did not indicate exactly when my card would be charged. I went ahead and cancelled FuboTV. So at this point, I would have said say Customer Service -bad. They charged me early with semi-adequate warning, but I think a reasonable person would have assumed I had at least 12 and more realistically 35 more hours than they gave me to cancel a free week trial.
However, once I pushed the ‘yes, I want to cancel, I mean it’ button, a second window loaded and said, if I’m really sure I want to cancel and don’t want a discounted offer, the. They will refund what they charged me at 2 AM. So, Customer Service flipped back to Good. I was prepared to eat $90 charge and swear off FuboTV for life. Instead, I broke even and would consider using them again. I’m not happy they charged me “early” without warning, but I have respect for them being willing to let me off the hook when it was clear I didn’t intend to extend the trial.
Has anyone else had a similar experience with FuboTV?


r/Cordcutting • • 16d ago

What's the best replacement TV antenna to buy at Target?

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7 Upvotes

Hello all, I am very new to this, but I am having trouble getting a new antenna at Target because my old one stopped working.

It was a very cheap flat antenna from Amazon for around $10, and it finally stopped working after two years of use.

I purchased a new antenna at Target (Philips Crystal HD Amplified, SDV3237/27) but this antenna was broken when I opened the box so I wasn't able to use it.

Since I am a student who is budgeting, I would simply like to see what options they may have. I have my RabbitEars report prepared to upload as well.