Expensive Streaming Bundle Review: Spyglass

Watching sports this fall is going to be interesting for me. It might also be a bit expensive. Recently, I canceled my YouTube TV subscription, which had been my go-to for streaming ever since I got rid of cable years ago. The reason I decided to cancel both services wasn’t just about the cost—it was more about the lack of options. YouTube TV kept raising its prices, and now it’s more than double what I initially paid. This made me realize that I didn’t need all the channels they offered, but there wasn’t a way to pay less for fewer channels. That’s where the frustration kicked in.

Now, with football season about to start, ESPN and Fox have launched new streaming services. It prompted me to take a closer look at the streaming services I currently subscribe to and how much they cost me each month:

Disney+/ESPN/Hulu: $38.99/month (ad-free bundle)
Netflix: $24.99/month (4K/four devices, no ads)
HBO Max: $20.99/month (4K, no ads)
Fox One: $19.99/month
Peacock: $16.99/month (no ads)
Paramount+: $12.99/month (no ads)
Apple TV+: $9.99/month ($12.99/month soon)
Prime Video: $8.99/month (included with Amazon Prime)

I may have missed one or two, but for now, these are the main services I’m subscribed to. Some services like Prime Video come as part of other subscriptions like Amazon Prime, so I don’t pay for them separately. I also get discounts on some services through credit card deals. In total, if I were to pay for all these services separately, it would amount to $153.92 per month, which totals to $1,847.04 annually.

When taking into account the various discounts and bundle options I have, the actual monthly cost is closer to $113.95. While this may seem like a lot, it gives me the freedom to choose what I want to watch without paying for unnecessary channels.

Although managing multiple streaming services can be a hassle, I appreciate the flexibility and freedom it offers. With the streaming landscape evolving, we might see more bundling options in the future, which could help simplify the process. But for now, I’ll stick to my current lineup of 10 different services (oops, make that 11 with YouTube Premium), enjoying the content and convenience they provide.