I’m not leaving out Hulu or Netflix in October, but these services may be paused

Fall has officially arrived with its NFL games, new anime releases, Halloween-themed content, and season premieres on both streaming and linear TV. Oh, and the NBA season starts this month too. I don’t know about you, but I have a long watchlist of things to stream this month, including Dan Da Dan, Like a Dragon: Yakuza, The Lincoln Lawyer, Abbott Elementary, and the Power Book II finale: Ghost series. Horror fans will find Peacock, Hulu and Netflix introducing a combination of classics and original films to their platforms, but Disney Plus users are in for lighter fare with new Bluey episodes and the reboot of Wizard of Waverly Place. Too much to look at, right?

I’m not mentioning it on this list, but anime fans might want to stick with Crunchyroll this month for its packed roster of new simulcasts. I would also like to remind you that Hulu and Disney Plus will be more expensive starting October 17th. Since streaming can get pricey in October, it may be a month when you consider canceling a service. That’s why every month I give advice on which subscriptions you can drop or keep. Spending is up and the holidays are just around the corner, so I’d like to share one strategy for keeping streaming costs down: churn like ice cream.

It’s quite simple. You subscribe for a set period of time, cancel, switch to another service, and then subscribe again, keeping your favorites in rotation. Rotating streaming services can mix things up and save you money if Netflix, Disney Plus, Max and others don’t have the content you want to watch at any given time. Don’t forget to turn off auto-renewal on your monthly subscriptions. This method may not work if you share your streaming accounts, but if you can figure it out, give it a try.

Here are my suggestions for which services to cancel or keep in October, based on new shows and movies (I didn’t take into account live TV streaming services) coming to each platform. Your tastes may differ, but if nothing else, I urge you to at least consider the concept of rotating for savings. Doing it is easier than you might think.

Read more: 50 TV shows we’re looking forward to in 2024

These streaming services offer a lot in October

Hulu: Three major anime are releasing this month: Dan Da Dan on October 3, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Season 3 on October 5, and the subtitled Dragon Ball Daima on October 11. For scares, Huluween offers films like Hold Your Breath (October 3) and Mr. Crockett (October 11). Abbott Elementary, season 4, premieres on Hulu on October 10, and What We Do in the Shadows, season 6, premieres on October 22.

Netflix: There are so many returning favorites hitting the platform this month, along with a slate of original horror films and new anime. Discover these October releases:

• Love Is Blind, season 7 (October 2)
• Heartstopper, season 3 (October 3)
• Dan Da Dan (October 3)
• It’s What’s Inside (October 4)
• The Menendez Brothers Documentary (October 7)
• From 5 (October 9)
• Outer Banks, Season 4, Part 1 (October 10)
• Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft (October 10)
• Revolt (K-drama film, October 11)
• The Lincoln Lawyer, season 3 (October 17)
• Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance (October 17)
• Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, Season 2 (October 17)
  
• Woman of the Hour (October 18)
• Kung Fu Panda 4 (October 21)
• Hellbound, season 2 (October 25)
• Don’t move (October 25)
• Time saving (October 30)
• The Alien Abduction in Manhattan (October 30)
• The Diplomat, season 2 (October 31)

Prime Video: Like a Dragon: Yakuza is one of the biggest premieres on the streamer this month, debuting in the US on October 24. Season 3 of The Legend of Vox Machina will be released on October 3, the same day Rings of Power streams the season 2 finale. And Citadel: Diana arrives on October 10. Don’t miss it!

Peacock: We told you Peacock is adding over 150 horror films to its bank (like the Purge franchise and Drag Me to Hell), but there’s a slew of originals and other releases coming out this month, like James Wan’s teacup. You can watch the vice presidential debate here, as well as NFL games. Here’s a taste of what’s to come:

• The Mousetrap (October 1)
• VP debate: Walz vs. Vance (October 1)
• Blackwater Lane (October 4)
• The Real Housewives Of Potomac, season 9 premiere (October 7)
  
• Teacup, season 1 premiere (October 10)
• Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist season finale (October 10)
• Hysteria!, season 1 debut (October 18)
  
• Despicable Me 4 (October 31)

Disney Plus: Magic reigns supreme on Disney Plus, with Agatha All along streaming until October 30 and Wizards Beyond Waverly Place launching on the same day. Parents: New Bluey mini-isodes release on October 7. If you are not interested in these titles, please discontinue this service this month.

Max: I plan on skipping Max this month, but some of you might want to save it for NBA games that air late in the month on the B/R Sports tier. Adult Swim’s Uzumaki streams every Sunday on Max and The Penguin continues through November. New releases include Gremlins: The Wild Batch Season 2 (October 3), Salem’s Lot (October 3), The Franchise (October 6), Maxxxine (October 18) and Trap (October 25).

Cancel this one and wait to binge

Stars: I’ll cancel Starz after that Power Book II: Ghost airs its final episode on October 4 (the same day Fat Joe’s talk show debuts). Sweetpea premieres on October 10 and viewers can continue to stream Three Women this month. But with Outlander coming out in November, you might want to cancel and pick up Starz next month.

Apple TV Plus: Skip it and wait until November when Silo returns, or you can stream the finals of Slow Horses or Bad Monkey on October 9. Season 2 of Shrinking also premieres on October 16. But if you’re not a fan, skip Apple TV Plus for now.

Paramount plus: Paramount Plus is once again a toss-up. There are Tulsa King and NFL games, and new releases include the final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks (October 24) and then Season 2 of Lioness on October 27. Please do not cancel this service while viewing these titles.

Being patient saves money on streaming

Wait until most or all episodes of your favorite show are available on a platform, especially if you don’t get FOMO. That way, instead of paying for a multi-month service to cover a show’s six- to 10-week run, you can catch up on everything by subscribing for a month and then repeating the cycle again. This works well if you don’t mind being a binge watcher.

The Penguin, for example, has eight episodes airing until November 10, and while Starz’s Sweetpea looks good, the entire series will be available in November. You’ll be able to binge shows like Silo, Tulsa King, Lioness, and Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (21 episodes) later this year instead of paying for a platform for months. And with Hulu and Disney increasing prices on bundles and standalone plans, it’s time to be strategic. Start watching a series about a month later in the season, or wait until you’ve watched everything in November or December.

Think about how much you pay per month for each streaming service you have and do the math. Netflix costs $7 to $23 (plus additional membership fees) and Paramount Plus starts at $8. Apple TV Plus costs $10. Until October 17, Disney Plus costs anywhere from $2 to $25 depending on the bundles. Max costs $10 to $21, Hulu costs $10 per month, Starz is now $11 and Peacock has a base rate of $8 per month. Should you decide to rotate, set a calendar reminder to alert you when it’s time to resubscribe or cancel.

We’ll be back in November for a new overview of the streaming services.