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June Is Busy for Streaming Services. Let’s Help You Decide Which Ones to Keep

Avatar swoops in, and you may not want to cancel Netflix if you’re a fan of Henry Cavill in The Witcher.

If there’s one month during the summer you want to have the big three streaming services — Netflix, Max and Disney Plus — on your roster, it’s June. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still consider your wallet, especially if you may now be paying for extra people to use your Netflix account.

Avatar: The Way of Water hits Disney Plus and Max (formerly HBO Max) on the same day, and Manifest, Black Mirror and The Witcher all return to Netflix. Though AMC Plus isn’t on this list, The Walking Dead: Dead City debuts with Negan front and center. It’s time to get your favorite streamers in order. 

Every month you may want to weigh whether to cancel a streaming service because of the content that’s currently available and how much you’re paying for each service. I want to offer one strategy: Churn like butter.

What does that mean? Subscribe, cancel, roll with a different platform, then resubscribe. Rotating services as needed helps save money when Netflix, Disney Plus, Max and others don’t have the content you want to watch at a given time. Just remember to shut off autorenewal for your monthly subscriptions. Churning may not be an option if you’re sharing your accounts with people outside your household, of course. But if you can work out an arrangement with your streaming partners, go for it. 

Here are my recommendations for which streamers to keep or cancel for June, based on new shows and movies (I didn’t consider sports and live TV streaming services) arriving on each platform. Naturally, your tastes may be different, but if nothing else, I urge you to at least consider the concept of rotating for savings. It’s easier than you might think.

Read more: Best Streaming Services of 2023

Streaming Service Rotation June 2023

Keep Cancel
Disney Plus X
Netflix X
Apple TV Plus X
Max X
Starz X
Hulu X
Paramount Plus X
Prime Video X
Peacock X

Hold on to Disney Plus, Netflix and Max

Disney Plus: If you didn’t catch it in theaters, Avatar: The Way of Water lands on June 7. Marvel also rules with a new Stan Lee documentary (June 16) and the premiere of Secret Invasion on June 21.

Netflix: It’s time to say goodbye to a few shows in June, including Manifest. Here are the standouts on Netflix this month:

  • Manifest, season 4, part 2 (June 2)
  • Arnold (a documentary on Arnold Schwarzenegger, June 7)
  • Never Have I Ever, season 4 (June 8)
  • Bloodhounds (K-drama, June 9)
  • Human Resources, season 3 (June 9)
  • Black Mirror, season 6 (June 15)
  • Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King (anime, June 16)
  • Extraction 2 (June 16)
  • The Witcher, season 3, volume 1 (June 29)
  • Nimona (June 30)

Max: One week after revamping HBO Max to Max and adding more Discovery Plus content, the platform has a few notable debuts for its June slate.

  • Magic Mike’s Last Dance (June 2)
  • The Idol (controversial new series starring Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd, June 4)
  • Avatar: The Way of Water (June 7)
  • The Righteous Gemstones, season 3 (June 18)
  • Downey’s Dream Cars (June 22)
  • Warrior, season 3 (June 29)

There’s also TNT’s AEW All Access (June 9), a new season of We Baby Bears (June 18) and 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days (June 4).

Hulu: Two years after a successful first installment, the second season of Cruel Summer arrives June 6. The Flamin’ Hot movie dives into the true story of Richard Montañez on June 9, but you can also stream it on Disney Plus. Other Hulu releases include The Wonder Years, season 2 (June 15) and The Bear, season 2 (June 22).

Starz: Outlander, season 7 is here on June 16, and fans won’t want to miss out. Right now, there’s a special deal where you can get Starz for $5 per month for three months.

Consider canceling these services in June

Prime Video: If you don’t already have Prime Video, I suggest waiting to sign up in July as the buzziest titles hit around the end of June and into July. Of course, if you already receive access through your Prime membership, don’t worry about canceling the streaming app. Here’s a sample of what’s coming: Dead Loch (June 2), I’m a Virgo (June 23) and Jack Ryan, season 4 (June 30). 

Peacock: The entire eight-episode season of Based on a True Story, starring Chris Messina and Kaley Cuoco, will post on June 8. You may want to cancel Peacock after a binge unless you’re a fan of Days of Our Lives, sports and Bravo’s reality shows.

Paramount Plus: New releases include iCarly, season 3 (June 3) and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season 2 (June 15). If you prefer, you can skip the platform this month and wait to binge these shows in a few weeks.

Apple TV Plus: Ted Lasso just ended on May 31, so do you really want to keep Apple TV Plus? If you do, Idris Elba’s new series, Hijack, debuts June 28, and Silo’s finale airs on June 30. Otherwise, cancel the service for now.

woman sit with palms extended as man sits next her looking perplexed woman sit with palms extended as man sits next her looking perplexed

Binge all of Based on a True Story on Peacock with Kaley Cuoco, then chop the streamer.

Peacock/NBC Universal

Save more cash by waiting

If you’re not someone who routinely gets FOMO, then a smart method is to wait until the bulk or all episodes of your favorite series land on a platform. That way, rather than pay for a service for two or three months to cover the six- to 10-week run of a show, you can catch up on everything by subscribing for one month. And then repeat the cycle.

man dressed in black trench coat wearing an eye patch looks off to the side man dressed in black trench coat wearing an eye patch looks off to the side

You could wait to watch Nick Fury and the Skrulls if you’re patient. 

Marvel Studios/Disney Plus

For example, there will be eight episodes of Secret Invasion on Disney Plus. The finale drops in August, so all episodes of Marvel’s show will be available to stream at that time. Though it premieres on June 21 and runs through August, save yourself three months of fees by waiting to stream it in full anytime in August or September. You can do the same thing with Cruel Summer on Hulu or the nine-episode run for The Righteous Gemstones on Max.

Note how much you’re paying per month for each streaming service, and do the math. Apple TV Plus is $7. Netflix is $7 to $20 (plus fees for extra members), Disney Plus is anywhere from $2 to $11 depending on bundles, Max costs $10 to $20, Hulu starts at $8 and Starz runs $9. The others have a base rate of $5 per month (for now). Should you decide to churn, set yourself a calendar reminder to alert you when it’s time to resubscribe or cancel. We’ll see you in July for another streaming rundown. 

Technologies

Six Flags shares decline following deadly roller coaster incident

One person died and several others were injured in an incident involving the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, according to reports.

Shares of Six Flags Entertainment declined more than 16% Tuesday following a deadly roller coaster incident at one of its amusement parks in Georgia.

One person died and several others were injured Monday in an incident at Six Flags Over Georgia, according to a statement from Georgia’s Cobb County Board of Commissioners. The board’s chairwoman, Lisa N. Cupid, said that county authorities are working with Six Flags and other partners in the investigation.

According to reports citing local police, the incident occurred on the Atlanta-area park’s 200-foot-tall Goliath roller coaster shortly before 4 p.m. Monday. Riders were later seen being evacuated from the roller coaster after it stopped near the top of the ride, according to the report.

Witnesses told a local news station that they saw a man fall from the roller coaster and strike the ride several times.

In a statement to ABC News, a Six Flags spokesperson said it is cooperating fully with the investigation and had temporarily closed similar attractions across its parks.

Six Flags did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Tuesday’s decline is on pace to be the stock’s worst day since August and puts shares at their lowest level since December 2009. Shares have now fallen by more than 50% over the past year.

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Technologies

French supermarket fridges get hacked, heating to 122°F and sparking fires

Hackers targeted hundreds of French supermarkets in a large-scale cyberattack, causing refrigerators to overheat, spoiling food, and sparking fires.

Hackers targeted hundreds of French supermarkets in a cyberattack that reportedly caused refrigerators and freezers to overheat, spoiling food and sparking fires.

Fridges at French supermarket chains Carrefour, Monoprix, the Les Mousquetaires-owned Intermarché, and Coopérative U, among others, all saw fridges heat up to as much as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight, Reuters reported Monday.

Coopérative U’s CEO, Dominique Schelcher, confirmed that cyberattacks had affected “refrigeration production facilities of several stores.”

“Attacking equipment that is essential to the preservation of fresh products and the food supply of the French people is extremely serious and unprecedented. It is unacceptable,” Schelcher said in a LinkedIn post.

CNBC has reached out to Carrefour, Monoprix, Intermarché, Coopérative U and E Leclerc for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Felix Aime, a senior cyberthreat intelligence analyst at Sekoia Threat Detection and Research, said the attack affected several European countries, including Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium, according to the Reuters article.

“I strongly condemn the cyberattack targeting food products at @intermarche @CooperativeU @Leclerc,” European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen said in a post on X on Monday.

“Food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponization of food has become a reality.”

AI enhancing cyberattacks

Les Mousquetaires said it was expecting the damages, which affected around 180 stores, to reach “several million euros in losses,” in an email to CNBC.

It said some fresh and frozen food displays have been out of service after the cyberattack affected one of its service providers responsible for managing refrigeration systems inside some stores.

“Intermarché and Netto have taken all necessary precautions to remove and dispose of any affected products as quickly as possible, to ensure consumer safety,” the Les Mousquetaires spokesperson said. “In some stores, the overheating of equipment resulted in smoke, but no fires have been reported.”

They’re now awaiting findings from a court-appointed bailiff and insurance experts to get more precise figures on damages.

Stop & Shop parent Ahold Delhaize

This comes amid a broader wave of cyberattacks and cybercrimes, which experts are warning are being enhanced by artificial intelligence. British online fashion retailer Asos experienced a cybersecurity breach last week which revealed some customers’ personal information.

Meanwhile, a small power plant in the U.K. was shut down for four days in July after a cyberattack which was suspected to be linked to Iran.

Interpol’s global chief information security officer, Bjorn R. Watne, recently told CNBC that AI can be used to target multiple victims at once, and is increasing the scale and speed of cyberattacks. “It’s an evolution and not a revolution.”

Correction: Bjorn R. Watne is global chief information security officer at Interpol. An earlier version misspelled his name.

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Technologies

Apple releases HomeView smart home hub with screen as showcase for Siri AI

The iPhone maker also announced the new Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini.

Apple on Tuesday announced a new home hub called HomeView.

Apple said the device with a 7-inch screen was designed to be mounted on a wall or placed on a table. It’s designed for multiple people in a household, and will recognize the user by their face to display pertinent information. It starts at $299 and ships on Nov. 13.

Tuesday’s launch event is the second under new CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook in September. Last month, Apple announced new models of its most important product, the iPhone, including a foldable model called the Duo that retails for nearly $2,000.

Apple also announced new Apple TV and HomePod hardware on Tuesday. The new Apple TV 4K costs $299 and has a redesigned remote that can play a sound if it is lost. Apple’s HomePod Mini speaker comes in new colors and costs $149, a slight increase over its previous $129 price.

The products announced Tuesday are less critical for Apple than the iPhone, and investors remain focused on iPhone sales, but the accessories were positioned on Tuesday as a showcase for the company’s new Siri abilities released last month.

Apple said that HomeView features Siri AI, which can answer a broad range of questions. Users will be able to converse with Siri, and their conversations will continue on their iPhone or iPad. It has a built-in speaker for playing music.

“It recognizes your face to shift from a household screen to your own experience, fills the room with incredible sound, keeps you connected to the people who matter most with FaceTime, and makes it easy to control your smart home,” Apple’s chief marketer Greg Joswiak said in a statement.

Apple said that HomeView will show information from the Messages, Photos, Calendar, and Reminders apps based on who is using the device, powered by Apple Intelligence. It can also be used to make FaceTime calls and as a digital photo frame. It’s equipped with an Apple A18 chip. It supports up to six users.

But while Apple has dabbled in home products and platforms in the past, Tuesday’s announcement shows Apple is making its home products a higher priority under Ternus.

Apple said on Tuesday that its new products, including HomeView, can be used as a smart home hub, coordinating notifications and actions in the home and working with a range of products, including new locks, doorbells, and cameras from LG Electronics and Schneider Electric.

Apple’s integration with the smart home is not just about sales but also helps further lock customers into its own ecosystem. People who use multiple Apple products and connections are less likely to switch to an Android phone.

HomeView can also become a smart home dashboard, Apple said. It can be used to view camera feeds, adjust the thermostat, or lock connected doors around the house.

Apple said that setting up a new smart home device takes one tap from the user’s iPhone.

Tuesday’s launch shows Apple’s confidence as it launches new product categories. But the broader consumer electronics industry has been dealing with price increases and demand deterioration related to component shortages in memory and storage. It also comes as new boss Ternus has reportedly pushed the company to release products faster.

Apple’s new Apple TV 4K got a price hike from $199 to $299, and comes after a similar price increase earlier this year, after Cook said that memory costs for Apple were unsustainable.

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