Technologies

Save on Streaming TV in 2023 With These Simple Tricks

From rotating streaming services to signing up for deals, here are all the ways to save on streaming in the new year.

This story is part of 12 Days of Tips, helping you make the most of your tech, home and health during the holiday season.

If you’re a part of the 56% of Americans impacted by inflation, cost-cutting in the new year is on your list of 2023 resolutions. One way to do so? Consider your streaming subscriptions. Crunching numbers for your streaming subscriptions could leave you with the realization you’re spending $500 per year or more. But this is one set of expenses you can easily tweak.

Here’s the scenario: You’re subscribed to multiple streaming services, you watch one or two of them until your favorite series ends its seasonal run, then look for the next thing. But is it worth keeping all those accounts active if you’re not watching anything on them? I don’t think so.

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Take a look at this money-saving strategy to help you tame your streaming costs.

Rotate your streaming services

Dumping cable for good and switching to streaming is a crafty money move for cord-cutters. Because you’re able to sign up for monthly plans, it’s easy to jump into a streaming service and jump out when prices increase or content dries up. But according to Deloitte’s 2022 Media Trends report, the main reasons people cancel their streaming subscriptions are because of costs and lack of fresh content. Media companies call this behavior «churn.» We’re calling this the rotation method, and you should try it.

The incentive? You save your coins and avoid content droughts. Let’s say a popular title like The Last of Us or Willow is set to premiere on a service. Find the total episode count and wait until they’re all available at once on a platform. You cancel HBO Max, Disney Plus or other service and then, once all the episodes are available, resubscribe to catch up. Alternatively, you can start streaming a show midseason to cut costs. My monthly guide on which streaming services to cancel can help you keep up.

The downside? You won’t have immediate access to every show you want to watch and will have to wait until the full season airs. And since many streaming services release new episodes weekly, you might not be caught up at the same time as your friends. If you’re someone who prefers to watch episodes immediately when they drop, you may decide it’s worth it to have multiple subscriptions at a time. If you have patience, however, you can save some money.

The strategy can also work if you have a live TV streaming service to watch a particular sport or major event like the Super Bowl. Once the season wraps, cancel the service or move to a cheaper platform with fewer channels, like Sling TV.

Tip No. 1: Cancel your subscription before getting charged

Set calendar reminders for your billing cycle and upcoming TV show or movie release dates. Give yourself enough warning to begin or end a subscription. Apps such as JustWatch, V Time and Hobi help you track when and where TV shows and movies appear on a streaming service. And JustWatch recently added a tracker specifically for sports. If you have a smart home device from Google or Amazon, you can set reminders for specific dates and allow a voice assistant like Alexa to notify you of an upcoming bill or streaming release date.

Tip No. 2: Sign up for streaming service deals

Look for discounts on streaming services. For example, Starz is now $3 per month for three months, a drop from its regular $9-a-month rate. You can also take advantage of the Disney Bundle, which provides access to Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus in a single package for a reduced price. And eligible Hulu subscribers can add on Disney Plus for $2. Lastly, be sure to check with your mobile carrier to see which ones offer free streaming subscriptions.

Tip No. 3: Pick one or two default streaming services

Subscribe to one or two must-have services for the year, and select only one or two more options to fit your monthly budget. Rotate the bonus service(s) according to what you want to watch, ensuring you don’t miss your favorite shows while sticking to your monthly spending cap.

Tip No. 4: Use monthly billing only

Avoid annual subscriptions and pay attention to your auto-renewal payment dates. Your billing cycle can help determine when it’s the best time to quit a service, even if you’ve only signed up for a free trial. The only advantage to signing up for an annual plan is when the price is drastically cut down.

Tip No. 5: Don’t cancel your subscription, pause it

Hulu allows you to pause your subscription for up to 12 weeks, and Sling has a similar option with stipulations. Check with your streaming provider to see if you can take a temporary break without canceling.

Give it a shot, and if you don’t like it you can always resubscribe. For more excellent tips on streaming TV, check out this guide to Netflix’s hidden tricks and our tips on the best VPNs.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Dec. 12

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 12.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Bullet ___ (insect known for its painful sting)
Answer: ANT

4A clue: Setting for the children’s book «Good Night, Gorilla»
Answer: ZOO

5A clue: Mixed-breed dogs
Answer: MUTTS

7A clue: Language that gave us the words «democracy» and «philosophy»
Answer: GREEK

8A clue: Untidy
Answer: MESSY

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Brilliant shade of blue
Answer: AZURE

2D clue: Classroom jottings
Answer: NOTES

3D clue: «100%,» in slang
Answer: TOTES

5D clue: Longtime movie studio now owned by Amazon
Answer: MGM

6D clue: Chicago W.N.B.A. team
Answer: SKY

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Technologies

Speed Across the Galaxy Next Year in Star Wars: Galactic Racer

Step aside, Skywalker. This is more than just pod racing.

After a surprise reveal of Star Wars: The Fate of the Old Republic to start The Game Awards on Thursday, another Star Wars game made its debut. But this one has no Jedi, no lightsabers, just people racing through treacherous terrain.

Galactic Racer is developed by Fuse Games, a studio created in 2023 and made up of former Burnout and Need for Speed developers. In the game’s description, races are run-based, meaning that once your vehicle is blown up, your race is over.

Galactic Racer will be released in 2026 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles.

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When does Star Wars: Galactic Racer take place?

According to the Galactic Racer Steam page, the game takes place after the Empire is gone, when the galaxy is rebuilding. The Galactic League has formed in the Outer Rim, and underground races will lead to fame and fortune for those racers fast enough to survive.

The trailer introduces Shade, «a lone racer with a dream of glory and revenge,» Fuse Games co-founder Matt Webster told StarWars.com.

«Your aim is to survive long enough to earn your shot at becoming an elite racing pilot,» he said. «Our races are high-stakes competitions where racers do everything they can to get to the front in the solo campaign and in our awesome multiplayer gameplay.»

What kind of vehicles will be available to ride in Star Wars: Galactic Racer?

The game’s trailer was short, but Star Wars fans will recognize a couple of landspeeders, skim speeders and speederbikes. Each vehicle type will have its unique handling and feel, with some able to squeeze through tight spaces and hug corners at top speed.

As the players progress, they will be able to upgrade their vehicles to their preferred style of play. By continuing to win, the better the vehicle can be made and the more races across different worlds will be available to race in.

Technologies

Reddit Challenges Australia’s Social Media Ban for Those Under 16 in High Court

Two days after announcing it would crank up its safety rules, Reddit is going to court to fight the Australian law.

Reddit, the social media and community chat forum, announced on Thursday that it is challenging Australia’s under-16 social media ban in the country’s High Court.

A statement posted to X said that the new law, which bans Australians aged 15 and younger from using apps such as Reddit, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Snapchat, YouTube, Kick and Twitch, «has the unfortunate effect of forcing intrusive and potentially insecure verification processes on adults as well as minors, isolating teens from the ability to engage in age-appropriate community experiences.»

The move comes just days after the San Francisco-based company implemented age verification measures in Australia.

Initially, Reddit appeared to be complying with the Australian law without resistance. On Tuesday, Reddit said it would verify that new members and current account holders in Australia are at least 16. It also announced that account holders under 18 worldwide will get modified versions of the app that prevent access to NSFW and mature content, with stricter chat settings and no ad personalization or sensitive ads.

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A representative for Reddit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reddit calls Australian law ‘arbitrary’

Earlier this week, Reddit said the legislation limits free expression and privacy and «is arbitrary, legally erroneous, and goes far beyond the original intent of the Australian Parliament, especially when other obvious platforms are exempt.»

«We believe strongly in the open internet and the continued accessibility of quality knowledge, information, resources, and community building for everyone, including young people,» the Tuesday statement said. «This is why Reddit has always been, and continues to be, available for anyone to read even if they don’t have an account.»

Age verification rules — such as the UK Online Safety Act — are becoming the norm rather than the exception for governments and companies worldwide. The internet is increasingly being filtered to prevent children from accessing certain content online. It’s a battleground where privacy, access to information and online safety are huge factors.

Age prediction and verification

Reddit had earlier stated that it would use an age prediction model to determine if new and existing account holders in Australia are at least 16 years old. If the model predicts that one of their members is under 16, Reddit will request proof of age. As outlined by the company, people must verify their birthdate by providing a government ID or taking a selfie. The company said it would suspend accounts of those it determines to be under 16.

Reddit claimed it would only securely store age information and not the photos or documents used in the verification process. The information would not be visible to advertisers or sold to data brokers, and would reportedly only be used to «enhance content relevance and ad experiences.»

Reddit said it was planning to increase platform safety for those under 18. If you’re under 18, you won’t be permitted to moderate communities dedicated to NSFW or mature content. The site will disable ad personalization, and you will not see ads for alcohol, gambling or other sensitive topics.