I’m Keeping Max and Prime Video at the Top of My Streaming List for February – CNET
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Netflix isn’t necessarily a must-have this month.
Ah, vacation. What could possibly go wrong? Find out as The White Lotus returns for a third season.The Super Bowl is Feb. 9, so you should absolutely be tuned in to Tubi — for free — or have another way to stream the game and the Kendrick Lamar halftime show. Now that we’ve called out the biggest sports event of February, we can look at which streamers are bringing the heat with TV series and movies this month. I’ll note that Max is living up to its slogan, “The one to watch,” because The White Lotus season 3 premieres and should be well worth the cost of your subscription. Netflix may be on your cancellation list after its recent price hike, and there’s just a small selection of noteworthy titles you may want to stream in February — like the series finale for Cobra Kai. But honestly, Paramount Plus and even Peacock have the goods this time, with the arrival of 1923, Yellowjackets and Royal Rumble. If you’re looking to cut your streaming expenses right now, then follow my guide on how to strategically drop services: Rotate — or churn your subscriptions like butter.Putting your streaming services in a rotation can keep things fresh and save you cash when Netflix, Apple TV Plus, Hulu and others aren’t offering what you’re in the mood for. Just make sure to shut off auto-renewal for your subscriptions. This trick might not work if you’re sharing accounts, but if you can manage it, give it a shot.Here are my recommendations for which services to stick with or ditch in February, based on the newest films, shows and events (I didn’t consider live TV streaming services) coming to each platform. Your preferences might vary, but I encourage you to think about the idea of rotating services for potential savings. It’s simpler than you may realize. Read more: Streaming Services Keep Transforming to Earn Your Attention. We Expect 3 Areas to Grow in 2025Invincible season 3 is coming.Max: Stop by for The White Lotus starting Feb.16, and stream every week. Max will also stream We Live in Time (Feb. 7); Puppy Bowl (Feb. 9); and NBA season games.Prime Video: You absolutely should be locked in to Prime Video for Invincible season 3 when it’s back on Feb. 6, and then Reacher’s return on Feb. 20. Paramount Plus: Season 2 of 1923 debuts Feb. 23, not long after Yellowjackets returns to TV on Feb. 14. These series may be reason enough for you to keep Paramount Plus, but there’s also the Grammys (Feb 2.), NCIS: Sydney season 2 (Feb. 7) and The Equalizer season 5 return (Feb. 16).Hulu: Remember to keep Hulu if you got its Black Friday deal and put that money to work. Keep streaming Abbott Elementary and Paradise, then check out: Sly Lives!: Aka the Burden of a Black Genius (Feb. 13), Bad Genius (Feb. 18), A Thousand Blows on Feb. 21 from the Peaky Blinders creators or Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke on Feb. 27.Apple TV Plus: If you’re still watching Severance every week, then keep Apple TV Plus until season 2 ends in March. Mythic Quest continues to stream, and new arrivals include Goldie on Feb. 14 and Berlin ER on Feb. 26. Drop this service if you’re not watching any of these.Netflix: Cobra Kai and Love Is Blind are on tap, along with a new series starring Robert DeNiro. You can use hidden codes to binge Valentine’s Day content, or look for these new arrivals:Peacock: Stay with Peacock if you nabbed the Black Friday deal, for network shows from NBC and Bravo, and these, too:Bridget Jones has a new original rom-com on Peacock. Starz: There are movies you can stream on Starz, but March will bring Power Book III: Raising Kanan so fans can wait to subscribe.Disney Plus: Two things happen here on Feb. 19: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man streams its finale and the debut of Pixar’s original series, Win or Lose. I’d cancel after that and sign back up for Daredevil: Born Again in March. Win or Lose debuts in February, but is it worth holding on to Disney Plus?If you’re not someone who gets FOMO, rotating your subscriptions is a clever way to finesse your streaming budget. Wait patiently until most or all episodes of your favorite show are a streaming service. Why commit to a subscription for several months just to watch a show that lasts six or 10 weeks, when you can simply binge-watch everything in one month and then do it all over again? This approach is ideal for those who love binge-watching or a more compressed viewing experience.I’ll point out examples like Harley Quinn on Max, and Severance, which both stream into March. Paramount Plus’ 1923 will have eight episodes that will likely carry on into April. Hold off a bit and you can save money on Apple TV Plus, Paramount Plus or any other service. Catch a series a month or so later in the season, or wait to binge it all in later months. Severance on Apple TV Plus.Look at what you’re paying for streaming each month for every service and do the math. Netflix is now more, ranging from $8 to $25 (plus extra member fees), and Paramount Plus starts at $8. Apple TV Plus is $10. Disney Plus is anywhere from $10 to $27, depending on bundles. Max costs $10 to $21, Hulu is $10 a month, Starz runs $11 now and Peacock starts at $8 monthly. If you want to rotate, help yourself with calendar alerts to remind you when it’s time to resubscribe or cancel. We’ll be back in March with another round of streaming rotation suggestions.
