Unlock free movies, TV shows, and more with free streamer Hoopla
Unlock free movies, TV shows, and more with free streamer Hoopla
Your library card just got 100x more powerful with Hoopla - the free TV and movie streaming service.
There are basically two free streamers that allow you to watch movies and TV shows (as well as other kinds of content) through your library card. I wrote about Kanopy here, and now it’s time to check out Hoopla – another totally free streaming service you unlock through your library. The service features movies and TV shows, along with millions of audiobooks, ebooks, comics, and more. But even better, using The BingePass feature, you can get free access to other coveted streaming services like Hallmark+ for seven days per month. So, here’s everything you need to know about the free streamer, Hoopla.
Everything you need to know about Hoopla
What is Hoopla?
Hoopla is a free streaming and media service that partners with public libraries to offer a massive collection of movies, TV shows, music, audiobooks, eBooks, and comics, all for free. Accessing Hoopla is easy. I put in my library card number and PIN, and then created an account with an email address and password all in about 60 seconds!
Now, when I signed up with Los Angeles Public Library, it gave me 15 titles to borrow for the month, also called credits. Depending on which library you sign up through, this may be different, but it was 15 for me. Each borrowed item - be it a movie, TV episode, audiobook, eBook, or comic - uses one credit. And the borrowing periods vary. Movie and TV show episodes (keep in mind that each TV episode is one credit, not each season) are available for 3 days / 72 hours, during which you can either stream it in your browser or download fit or offline viewing with Hoopla’s app. With music albums, you can get them for seven days, while audiobooks, eBooks, and comics last 21 days.
Where things really get interesting is with Hoopla’s BingePass feature. This allows you to access entire collections (like The Great Courses) or streaming platforms (like Hallmark+) for seven days using a single borrow. This is an excellent way to maximize monthly borrows to get the most out of the service. I used Hoopla’s BingePass feature to get access to Hallmark+, and once you confirm, you just hit “play titles” and it opens a new tab in your browser with Hallmark+ open and already signed in with access to their platform. Note that not all titles are included but it’s a pretty comprehensive offering, and also keep in mind that offline downloads are not available for BingePass audiobooks, movies, and TV shows.
For families, Hoopla has a dedicated Kids Mode which provides a safe environment with age-appropriate content. But, unlike Kanopy, all children’s content counts against the monthly borrow limit. Still, Hoopla’s user-friendly interface and solid content library make it a must-have streamer for anyone looking to keep their streaming costs in control.
Hoopla
Hoopla is a free streaming service accessible with your library card. The service features movies and TV shows, along with millions of audiobooks, ebooks, comics, and more. The BingePass feature also allows free access to services like Curiosity Stream, iNDIEFLIX Hellosaurus, and Hallmark+.
How much does Hoopla cost?
Hoopla doesn’t cost anything – it’s a free streaming platform that you gain access to through your public library card. And, the best part is, it doesn’t have any ads either. Instead, it uses a credit system where you receive a set number of “borrows” per month that you spend against content. It was 15 borrows for me through the Los Angeles Public Library, but varies by library.
What popular movies and TV shows can you watch on Hoopla?
One of the biggest perks of Hoopla is the BingePass feature I’ve already discussed. That gives you seven-day access to most of the content on popular platforms like Curiosity Stream, iNDIEFLIX, Hellosaurus, Hallmark+, and Fandor, while only using a single borrow. And once you borrow a BingePass, you can access it immediately. Some BingePasses allow you to explore directly through a partner’s platform (like Hallmark+), while others give you access to entire collections of content on Hoopla.
Apart from the BingePass, there are other popular movies and TV shows to stream from the service, including a decent number of titles from BBC and Acorn TV like “Recipes for Love and Murder,” “The Brokenwood Mysteries,” “Darby and Joan,” and “My Life is Murder.” You can also check out comedies like “Inside Amy Schumer,” and “Hot in Cleveland.”
I recently borrowed “The Whale” starring Academy Award Winner Brendan Fraser as my wife and I hadn’t seen it yet. It tells the story of a reclusive English teacher who suffers from severe obesity and tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.
There’s also the fantasy romantic thriller TV show, “A Discovery of Witches,” which follows brilliant historian Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) as a witch who denies her heritage. But when she unexpectedly comes across an ancient, bewitched manuscript, she’s thrown into a dangerous mystery and into the path of enigmatic geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode). Let the romance begin!
For documentary and “Wicked” fans, there’s “Wicked: The Real Story.” It tells the rich history of the iconic stage production “Wicked” with exclusive interviews from past and present cast members, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the show’s history.
And if you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit, you can watch the Tim Allen classic, “Christmas with the Kranks.” When their daughter decides to spend Christmas abroad, Luther and Nora Krank (played by Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) make an unconventional decision: to skip the holiday entirely and go on a tropical cruise. Their plan to avoid the stress of Christmas traditions quickly turns into chaos when their neighbors object to the Kranks’ lack of festive spirit. And when their daughter announces a surprise visit, the couple scrambles to pull off a perfect Christmas at the last minute.
There are plenty more popular movies and TV shows on Hoopla, so sign up for a free account and check it out.
What platforms can you watch Hoopla with?
Hoopla is compatible with Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, iPhone/iPad, Android Phone/Tablet, Mac, Windows, Sony Smart TV, and VIZIO Smart TV (Google Cast).