Where to find free streaming services
We’re more than a decade into the streaming revolution, but I still hear from readers who resent having to pay for TV and refuse to go for it. They settle for broadcast TV, which is overstuffed with reality TV and game shows, and perhaps they dabble in some basic cable material. They’re missing a lot.
I always recommend — and I will once more — that readers subscribe to a streamer for a month or two, watch its offerings, then switch. Once you sign up for a Netflix or a Paramount+, you really don’t need to keep automatically renewing every month. It’s not a utility.
But there are free streaming services, too. That’s right, there are a number of TV outlets online where you can watch without a monthly fee. The only price you pay is in the time you spend watching ads. Here are just a handful of those service, with only a very few of the many series they offer.
Amazon Freevee: The free branch of Amazon offers shows, movies, and some original content. You’ll find “Lost,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Judy Justice” (Judge Judy’s show), “Bosch: Legacy,” “Sprung,” “All in the Family,” and “Jury Duty.”
Peacock: The streaming service for NBCUniversal has a free version, which offers about two-thirds of Peacock’s library. The shows include “Poker Face,” the Chicago series, “The Traitors,” “Ted,” “Extras,” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”
Tubi: Owned by Fox, it’s loaded up with movie and TV titles from British crime series like “Broadchurch,” “The Fall,” and “Luther” to American oldies such as “Miami Vice,” “Columbo,” and “NYPD Blue.”
Pluto TV: I like their slogan, which is “Stream now. Pay Never.” You’ll find movies and TV including “I Love Lucy,” “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Midsomer Murders,” “The Walking Dead,” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Crackle: This one has been around for 20 years, and it features movies, TV shows, and originals such as “The Oath” with Sean Bean. You’ll find “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “The Carol Burnett Show,” and one of my favorites, “Wilfred,” among its many titles.
Hoopla: You can access this service with a library card. You’ll find “Dark Winds,” “Interview With the Vampire,” the British “The Office,” and “Wolf Hall.”