So you’re finally ready to take the plunge. Whether you’re fed up with the seemingly endless fees your cable company piles on, or you simply don’t need the hundreds of obscure channels cablers packed into their plans, it’s time to cut the cord once and for all in 2025. Below, I’ll lay out the best ways to save money after leaving cable behind, while still getting the most out of your TV-watching experience.

How to save money on TV and streaming in 2025

Evaluate what content you prize most

The first thing you have to do if you want to save money and stop paying for content you don’t watch in 2025 is to figure out what you want to watch the most. If you prefer the ability to watch multiple kinds of content on a single platform, and still enjoy the ability to watch top cable channels like CNN, FX, Nickelodeon, TNT, USA Network, and others, a live TV streaming service is probably in your future.

If, on the other hand, you prefer to watch on-demand entertainment in the form of TV shows and movies most often, a streaming service like Netflix, Disney+, Max, or Prime Video is right for you. These streamers carry originals, exclusives, and many even provide live sports from time to time.

Perhaps you don’t watch all that much TV, and are just looking for a way to see area-specific news and other local programming on local broadcast channels like ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, or PBS. You can do so with an over-the-air antenna, which will deliver your area’s local channels for a one-time purchase fee, with no subscription required.

If you want to mix and match your entertainment forms, keep reading! There are plenty of ways to blend live TV with on-demand streaming that won’t break your budget, and we’ll walk you through them.

Which live TV streaming services should cord-cutters check out?

If you’ve left an inflexible and expensive cable plan behind, you may be asking yourself why you’d turn around and jump back in with a live TV streaming service that essentially delivers all the same channels. But there’s an important difference between cable and live TV services: the latter don’t require long-term contracts, so you’ll never feel locked into a service you don’t want to watch anymore.

Not to mention, there are a couple of live TV streamers that can help you save big money over what you were paying for cable. That starts with Philo, which carries channels like AMC, Food Network, and other popular cable networks for a starting price of just $28 per month. You won’t get live sports channels or local networks with Philo, but it’s a good place to start if you just want a few live channels for an affordable price.

You can also take a step up to Sling TV if you want to stream ESPN, FS1, TNT, and other top sports channels. Sling plans start at $46 per month, making for a good intermediate step between Philo and the more expensive live TV packages on the market.

If you want to get a closer experience to what you had when you were signed up for cable, there are a few other services to check out. DIRECTV STREAM plans carry at least 31 of the top 35 cable channels on the market, including local broadcast networks in most markets. This streamer starts at $87 per month after a five-day free trial and is great for those who watch a lot of TV in a lot of genres.

Hulu + Live TV also offers new customers a free trial of three days in length. Once the trial ends, prices start at $82 per month, and it too carries a good balance of channels. Viewers who are willing to step up to the $83-per-month package can get free access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ with their Hulu + Live TV account as well.

Fubo is fantastic for those who prioritize sports most highly. This is one of the few ways to watch FanDuel Sports Network channels and other regional sports networks without a linear cable subscription, and plans start at $80 per month — though you’ll have to pay an RSN fee of $15 if you want to get your area’s sports network.

YouTube TV is another good all-around streamer for general TV fans, and you can always add supplemental subscriptions if you need more content. Its channel plan starts at $83 per month and comes with a free trial that varies in length depending on what time of month you sign up.

Which subscription video streaming services are best?

Entering the world of on-demand streamers can be a little intimidating since there are so many to choose from. But the variety that comes with subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streamers can be of huge benefit to consumers, allowing them to pick and choose which types of entertainment they want to watch most.

If you’re more into pure entertainment, a service like Apple TV+, Netflix, Hulu, or Max is probably the right call for you. These services are packed with high-quality original shows, prestige TV, movies, and favorites imported from cable channels.

There are also great SVOD services out there for fans of live sports. Peacock will begin offering NBA regular season and playoff games in 2025, and already carries NFL football, college football and basketball, tennis, golf, and more starting at $8 per month. Paramount+ also offers the NFL and a wide variety of soccer games for $8, and Prime Video gives fans “Thursday Night Football,” women’s soccer and basketball, and the NBA when the 2025-26 regular season begins.

Cord-cutters will love this variety of content, but also the fact that most of these services have plans starting at less than $10 per month. You can also choose whether or not you want to watch ads with these streamers, giving you the option to fit in extra subscriptions by opting for cheaper ad plans.

Want to stack streamers? Check out a bundle!

If you’re thinking you want to stack two or three streaming services in place of your old, expensive cable plan, you should look into the various streaming bundles available nowadays. The Disney Bundle is the original, offering savings of more than 40% if you sign up for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ all at once.

New to customers this year is the Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle, which allows you to get even more entertainment starting at just $17 per month for all three streamers. This cross-company bundle is one of the first of its kind, and it’s a great way to save big.

If you’re an Xfinity internet or TV customer, you can also sign up for the StreamSaver bundle for $15 per month. This package carries Apple TV+, Netflix, and Peacock for a good blend of sports and entertainment at a fantastic price.

Sign Up

hulu.com

Disney+ Hulu Max Bundle

Get 3 great streaming services at a 34-38% discount with the Disney+ Hulu Max Bundle. You’ll get family-friendly favorites, blockbuster movies, live sports, and the best dramas on TV. Sign up and stream the biggest hits from Disney, HBO, FX, Pixar, The Muppets, Star Wars, and Marvel. It’s an enormous library of TV and movies and one of the best values in streaming.

Sign Up

$16.99+ / month

hulu.com

The bundle saves you $13/month on the ad-supported plan and $22 on the ad-free option!

Add more entertainment with free streamers

Free streaming services can be a great way to round out your collection of streaming services. If you like turning on older TV shows or movies to watch in the background, a free ad-supported streamer like Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, or Tubi is a fantastic way to get access to hundreds of free streaming channels and thousands of on-demand titles at no cost.

Bottom line

Leaving cable behind can unlock monthly savings of $100 or more. With all that extra money to play around with, viewers can build a collection of TV shows and movies that deliver exactly the content they want, without having to pay for extras you will never watch. Cutting the cord is a great way to save on entertainment, no matter what streaming arrangements you make once you’ve walked away from cable.