Popular streaming services are still in customer acquisition mode, and their Cyber Monday sales prove it.
Today, customers can get anywhere between two months and a year of various streaming services for substantially reduced rates.
Courtesy of Phillip Swann who runs the TVAnswerMan blog and X account, those in the market to add some streaming services to their rotation can buy Peacock for $1.99 a month for six months or $19.99 for an entire year, Max for $2.99 a month for six months, ESPN+ for $20 off an annual subscription, Hulu for $0.99 a month for one year, and Paramount+ for $2.99 a month for two months.
The deals show that while executives love to talk about churn reduction in a more mature market for over-the-top streaming services, market share is still top-of-mind for many media companies with direct-to-consumer products. And though these types of sales will surely attract new customers, they likely won’t help streamers become more profitable like investors are clamoring for.
Despite seeing massive subscriber growth for the Olympics this summer and an NFL Wild Card game before that, NBC’s Peacock still ended Q3 $436 million in the red. Paramount+ posted two profitable quarters in Q2 and Q3 this year, but warned investors to expect a loss in Q4.
To its credit, Max is seemingly in for some meaningful profit in 2025, with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav suggesting the company could exceed $1 billion in streaming profit next year. Disney’s streaming unit, which includes Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu, turned a modest profit last quarter.
But it’s difficult to evaluate whether these profits are simply the work of creative accounting or an indication that the sector is becoming something that media companies can rely on. For now, streaming still seems like a far cry from the massive profits of the cable bundle.
Luckily, consumers can still take advantage of the relatively cheap cost of streaming. Especially on a day like today.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.