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It’s the stream-o-pocalypse. Netflix is raining fire and brimstone upon users by revoking access to shared accounts. Other streamers are taking similar measures. It’s padding their margins, but at what cost? My wallet weeps.
TV, movie, and music lovers must open their own streaming accounts. Luckily for students, many streaming services offer special student discounts. Here are some of the best.
1. Spotify Premium
Spotify offers students a Spotify Premium subscription for cheap. It’s $5.99 monthly and comes with Hulu (with ads). If you already pay for Hulu, you can link your accounts to earn a discount on what you already pay. Mind you, it’s still a discount even if you don’t use Hulu.
Typically: $10.99 monthly
With discount: $5.99 monthly, plus Hulu
2. Amazon Prime
Amazon offers video and music streaming to all subscribers. Students get six months free and a 50% discount for as long as they remain a student. Included streaming services are Prime Video, Amazon Music Prime, and Prime Gaming. It’s not absolutely everything Prime typically offers, but included Prime Delivery makes this deal very, very tempting.
Typically: $14.99 monthly
With discount: $7.49 monthly, plus six months free
3. Hulu
Hulu offers students a huge standalone discount. Students get 75% off the ad-supported tier. But before you buy, hold up — Spotify Premium users can get this discount bundled with their Spotify student discount. Only buy the Hulu student deal if you’re not a Spotify Premium user.
Typically: $7.99 monthly
With discount: $1.99 monthly
4. HBO
HBO offers students free access, but there’s a catch — you’ve got to be living on one of these three college campuses: Central Connecticut State University, University of Southern California, or Western Connecticut State University. You may also have access if your school works with University Video Services.
Before you connect with HBO Max, connect your provider. (You may want to ask a faculty member for details.) It’s kind of a hassle to sign up, but hey. It could save you about $120 each year, double the cost of a standard Costco membership.
Typically: $9.99 monthly
With discount: $0 on campus
5. Peacock
Peacock offers students 12 months of discounted Premium membership. You can choose to pay annually or monthly. I recommend monthly — that way, you’re not locked in. If things go south with your personal finances, you can easily save a little money by canceling your membership.
Typically: $5.99 monthly
With discount: $1.99 monthly for 12 months
Other streaming discounts
You’ve probably noticed a couple of major missing entries. As of February 2024, Netflix and Disney Plus don’t offer standalone student discounts. But you can save a bit of money by signing up for a streaming credit card, many of which offer flexible credits and cash back.
If your favorite streaming service doesn’t offer a student discount, hang in there. If you’re on the fence about keeping a subscription, you might as well cancel it. Worst case scenario, you regret the decision and spend a few minutes re-subscribing. Best case scenario, the streamer offers you 50% off the next three months of streaming, or a similar discount if you sign up again in the future. It’s pretty common.
Personally, I like to keep my subscriptions to three or fewer at any given time. That way, I don’t forget to cancel ones I’m not using. (I speak from experience.) Consider paying it forward to future you by snagging student discounts, swiping credit cards when appropriate, and canceling unused subscriptions.
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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Cole Tretheway has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Costco Wholesale, and Netflix. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
