Keep or cancel? Peacock and Netflix can satisfy your streaming needs this month

Streaming TV will really take off in the fall, when shows like Agatha All Along and The Penguin hit the shelves, but August is far from dry. The Umbrella Academy is leaving Netflix for good, while KAOS and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder make their debuts. But there are at least two streamers — that aren’t Netflix — with worthy lineups this month, and Peacock is one of them.

The Olympics have been dominating Peacock lately, but honestly, the platform has a lot going for it this August. You’re getting your money’s worth with the release of multiple big-budget movies like The Fall Guy and The Bikeriders , TV shows like Bel-Air , and the new original Mr. Throwback starring Steph Curry . The Love Island USA reunion is also about to drop. We know the service is more expensive right now, but you can still keep it this month.

In the age of streaming bundles, you may feel locked into some of your subscriptions. The Disney Plus/Hulu/Max package is an enticing proposition, but besides the House of the Dragon finale and every X-Men movie, what is there to watch this month? We’ve got you covered.

Every month, you might wonder whether you should cancel a streaming service to save money. And every month, I offer advice on which ones to cancel or keep. Groceries, gas, and air conditioning are expensive, so I want to offer you one strategy: spin like ice cream, aka rotate.

How do you rotate? You subscribe for a set period of time, cancel, switch to another service, and then resubscribe, keeping your favorites in rotation. Rotating streaming services can shake things up and save you money when Netflix, Disney Plus, Max, and others don’t have the content you want to watch at a given time. Just remember to turn off auto-renewal on your monthly subscriptions. This method may not work if you share streaming accounts, but if you can work it out, give it a try.

Here are my suggestions for which platforms to cancel or keep in August, based on new shows and movies (I didn’t consider live TV streaming services) coming to each platform. Your tastes may vary, but I’d definitely recommend considering the concept of rotating for savings. It’s easier than you might think. And don’t forget that a VPN can also be a handy tool if you’re streaming.

Read more: 50 TV Shows We’re Looking Forward to in 2024

Keep these streaming services in mind in August

Peacock: Stay with Peacock for the Olympics and the rest of its August lineup. That includes Homicide: Life on the Street , which is finally streaming in 4K and HD, a win for fans of the classic show. Stream these titles starting this month:

• Mr. Throwback (August 8)
• The Bikeriders (Aug 9)
• Bel-Air, season 3 (Aug. 15)
• Love Island USA reunion (Aug. 19)
• Homicide: Life on the Street (all seasons) and Homicide: The Movie (Aug. 19)
• The Murderer (August 23)
• The Pitfall (August 30)

Netflix: The Umbrella Academy returns for its final season on August 8, but this month also brings the anime series Terminator Zero, KAOS starring Jeff Goldblum as Zeus, Emily in Paris and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Matt Rife and Joe Rogan have comedy specials coming out this month, and K-drama fans can check out The Frog (August 23) and GG Precinct (August 22). Here are the times to stream some of Netflix’s latest drops:

• Unstable season 2 (Aug 1)
• A Good Guide to Murder for Girls (August 1)
• Rebel Moon films, Zack Snyder director’s cut (August 2)
• Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie (August 2)
• Love is Blind: UK (Aug 7)
• The Umbrella Academy, season 4 (August 8)
• Daughters, a new documentary (Aug. 14)
• Worst Ex Ever (Aug. 14)
• Emily in Paris, Season 4, Part 1 (Aug. 15)
• The Unionan original film starring Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg (August 16)
• KAOS (August 29)
• Terminator Zero (August 29)
• The Redemption (Aug. 30)

Prime Video: The biggest release is Rings of Power Season 2 on August 29, where viewers will see Sauron bring his menacing energy and learn more about The Stranger. But you can also stream the new animated series Batman: Caped Crusader, debuting August 1, the original movie Jackpot starring John Cena and Awkwafina (August 15), and Classified on August 22.

Hulu: Hulu kicks off the month with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes streaming on August 2 and Lollapalooza from August 1-4. Megan Thee Stallion and Blink-182 are among the headliners. I plan to check out Reasonable Doubt Season 2 (August 22) and Only Murders in the Building Season 4 (August 27), but other releases include Dance Moms: A New Era (August 7) ​​and Immaculate — a theatrical film starring Sydney Sweeney, opening on August 16.

Apple TV Plus: If you haven’t seen Pachinko yet, you absolutely must. Season 2 is coming out on August 23. The season finale of Time Bandits airs on August 21, so now’s a great time to binge-watch it along with Presumed Innocent. And the new Yo Gabba Gabbaland! is coming to the kids’ platform on August 9.

Cancel this after you have viewed your favorites

Maximum: Unless you’re taking advantage of a deal or bundle offer, you’re better off ditching Max after the House of the Dragon finale on August 4. Penguin debuts in September, but if you’d rather stick with the service, here’s what’s new: Industry season 3 (August 11), Chimp Crazy documentary (August 18), and City of God: The Fight Rages On (August 25).

Disney Plus: There aren’t many new titles streaming this month, so if you don’t have the service as part of a bundle, you can probably skip it. Keep it if you want to watch Are You Sure?! , a TV series debuting on August 8 that follows BTS stars Jimin and Jung Kook on a journey of adventure before their military duties begin. Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Season 2 also arrives on August 14.

Stars: The Serpent Queen season two ends on August 30th, so if you’ve been watching the series, either cancel it or watch it all at once in September when Power Book II: Ghost returns with part 2 of the final season.

Paramount Plus: Evil fans — myself included — will be saying goodbye when the show airs its finale on August 22. I’ll be saying goodbye to Paramount Plus after that, too. If you have time for four seasons, you can binge-watch this delightful series this month, too.

Save patience on streaming

Waiting until most or all episodes of your favorite show are available on a platform is a smart strategy 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 by subscribing for one month and then repeating the cycle. This works well if you don’t mind being a binge-watcher.

For example, Evil returned to Paramount Plus in May, but ends on August 22 with a 14-episode season 4. I can binge-watch the entire season (or series) this month instead of paying for four months of Hulu. Likewise, Only Murders in the Building drops in late August, with 10 episodes airing weekly. That means it will stream until October, giving you the option to binge-watch it then or in November. Don’t pay for multiple months of Hulu if this show is the only reason you have it.

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), while Paramount Plus starts at $8. Apple TV Plus costs $10. Disney Plus costs between $2 and $25 depending on bundles, Max costs $10 to $21, Hulu starts at $8, and Starz costs $10. Peacock has a base rate of $8 per month. If you decide to rotate, set a calendar reminder to alert you when it’s time to resubscribe or cancel.

In September we can again provide an overview of the streaming services.