On a Budget? Here Are 4 Streaming Services For Under $8 a Month

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.

TV Answer Man, I don’t understand why these streaming services keep raising prices!! Seems like every day there’s a new price hike. Do you have any suggestions for the poor consumer who just wants to watch some TV without going broke? I know there are some free services out there but I find they aren’t very good. — Edgar, Toledo, Ohio.

Edgar, I feel your pain. While some journalists and financial analysts once suggested streaming would be a cheap alternative, the price of watching online TV continues to escalate with today’s multi-channel live streamers such as YouTube TV and Hulu Live costing as much as some traditional cable and satellite services.

The good news is that there are several free ad-supported services such as Pluto TV, Tubi, Sling’s Freestream and The Roku Channel. They offer hundreds of live and on-demand channels and there’s plenty of diverse and interesting options. However, their lineups arguably are lacking in quality because they are able to offer free programming only because they don’t have to pay much for it.

So how can a discerning consumer watch some quality shows and movies without breaking the budget? The TV Answer Man presents four streaming services that you can get for under $8 a month.

1. Netflix
Yes, the world’s most watched, and most subscribed to, streamer has an ads-included plan for just $6.99 a month. And you can cancel at any time. Click here to learn more.

2. Discovery Plus
Discovery Plus, the standalone streaming service for the basic cable Discovery channels, today raised the price of its ads-included plan from $4.99 a month to $5.99 a month, effective immediately for new customers and effective for existing ones in February. But it’s still a pretty good deal at $6. Discovery Plus has more than 70,000 episodes from networks such as HGTV, Food Network, TLC, CNN, and ID. Click here to learn more.

3. Peacock
The NBCUniversal-operated streamer has thousands of shows and movies, including live sports from NBC, in its ads-included $7.99 a month Premium plan. Peacock estimates that it has more than 80,000 hours of programming. Click here to learn more.

4. Paramount Plus
The service’s ads-included Essential plan costs $7.99 a month. It doesn’t include Showtime or the local CBS affiliate feed. But Paramount Plus says it includes more than 40,000 movies and episodes. Click here to learn more.

Edgar, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

Have a question about a favorite show or new TV technology? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered television for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.