Which Streaming Service Offers the Best Ad-Supported Viewing Experience, Value?
Which Streaming Service Offers the Best Ad-Supported Viewing Experience, Value?
Streaming customers are increasingly willing to accept ads, but which service has the best ad-supported platform? The Streamable’s experts break it all down.
The rising costs of streaming are creating interesting new behaviors among customers. Streaming viewers were formerly resistant to ads, having bought into subscription video services based in part on the promise that they would never force viewers to sit through interminable ad breaks. But in 2024, when streaming prices are starting to rival those of cable and satellite, 58% of viewers say they prefer ad-supported streaming plans to ad-free ones. Ad-supported streaming plans are a great way for viewers to save money, and The Streamable will break down which services offer the best experience for consumers who are looking to save a bit of money with their streaming services by switching to ad plans.
- Disney+, Max, Netflix, Peacock, and Prime Video offer the fewest ads per hour.
- All services offer at least some live sports, but the amount can vary widely.
- More and more streaming services are cracking down on password sharing, as they try to drive more viewers to plans with ads.
With so many top streaming services now offering ad-supported plans of their own, it can be difficult to know which one offers the best experience relative to ad-free viewing. Luckily for customers, The Streamable is here to sort through all the features and content highlights available on every top ad-supported streaming tier.
Which Ad-Supported Plans Offer Biggest Savings Over Going Ad-Free?
| Service | Monthly Price | Monthly Savings Over Cheapest Ad-Free Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Disney+ | $7.99 | $6 |
| Hulu | $7.99 | $10 |
| Max | $9.99 | $6 |
| Netflix | $6.99 | $8.50 |
| Peacock | $5.99 | $6 |
| Paramount+ | $5.99 | $6 |
| Prime Video | $8.99 | $3 |
Most viewers switch to ad-free streaming plans in order to save money, so we itemized which services are offering the biggest savings over their cheapest ad-free plans. Hulu offers the biggest savings between ad-supported and ad-free plans at $10 per month, and customers get access to all the same content on both of its streaming tiers.
Netflix is next, with a savings of $8.50 each month over going ad-free. Max, Peacock, and Paramount+ all allow the viewer to save $6 per month by opting for an ads plan, while Prime Video’s tiers are the closest together; streaming without ads is only $3 more expensive than watching Prime Video with commercials.
Hulu
Hulu is a video streaming service that gives access to thousands of full seasons of exclusive series, hit movies, kids shows, and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Which Streamers Offer the Fewest Ads per Hour?
| Service | Ads Per Hour |
|---|---|
| Disney+ | 4-5 min/hr (none during kids programming) |
| Hulu | 9-10 min/hr |
| Max | 4-5 min/hr |
| Netflix | 4-5 min/hr |
| Peacock | 4-5 min/hr |
| Paramount+ | 9-10 min/hr |
| Prime Video | 4-5 min/hr |
Thankfully for on-demand streaming viewers, all services offer substantially fewer commercials per hour of streaming time than live TV does. Still, there are some clear winners in this department, especially for families with kids.
Disney+ is tied for the fewest ads per hour of streaming, with 4-5 minutes of commercials in that time. Best for parents, however, is the fact that kids’ programming currently streams ad-free on Disney+, so they don’t have to worry about their children being bombarded with commercials when they’re streaming “Bluey.” Most other ad-supported platforms offer a similar ad load; the exceptions are Paramount+ and Hulu, which double the amount of commercials per hour that are standard at other services.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”
Which Ad-Supported Streamers Offer Best Features?
| Service | Simultaneous Streams | Allows Password Sharing? | 4K Streaming | Offline Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disney+ | 4 | No | Select shows & movies on certain devices | No |
| Hulu | 2 | No | Select shows & movies on certain devices | No |
| Max | 3 | Yes, but restrictions coming | No (4K available only on ad-free tier) | No |
| Netflix | 2 | No | No (4K available only on ad-free tier) | Yes |
| Peacock | 3 | Yes | Select shows & movies on certain devices | No |
| Paramount+ | 3 | Yes | No (4K available only on ad-free tier) | No |
| Prime Video | 3 | Yes | Select shows & movies on certain devices | No |
When choosing which streaming services ad-supported plan to pick, it’s important to note which features they offer. Two features that have been increasingly linked together in light of spreading password-sharing restrictions are the ability to share accounts and the number of simultaneous streams allowed.
Netflix was the first to crack down on password sharing, and it allows the fewest number of simultaneous streams at two. Disney+ lets subscribers watch on up to four devices simultaneously but recently made password sharing an official violation of its user agreement. Warner Bros. Discovery executives have let it be known that while Max has not come down on password sharing yet, such restrictions are coming.
Peacock, Paramount+, and Prime Video all allow customers to share their login information with friends or family outside their households, and each of these services lets subscribers watch on up to three screens simultaneously. None of these three allow customers to download shows and movies for offline watching, however. In fact, no streaming service besides Netflix lets customers download titles to watch offline as of now.
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Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.
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Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” and “The Office,” as well as original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports including NFL, MLB, WWE, Olympics, Premier League, NASCAR, French Open, College Football and Basketball, and PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.
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Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Amazon Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.
Which Ad-Supported Streamers Carry Live Sports?
| Service | Sports Selections |
|---|---|
| Disney+ | Occasional family-focused presentations of NHL and NFL games |
| Hulu | NHL & ESPN+ Upgrade |
| Max | All games from TNT, TBS, and truTV through Bleacher Report add-on |
| Netflix | “WWE Raw” starting in 2025 |
| Peacock | “Sunday Night Football,” Olympics, auto racing, Premier League, Big Ten football and basketball, more |
| Paramount+ | NFL, UEFA Champions League |
| Prime Video | “Thursday Night Football” |
As of 2025, all subscription video streamers will offer some version of live sports or sports entertainment. Netflix has strongly resisted adding live sports in the past, but it will welcome its first regular sports entertainment event when it begins streaming episodes of the WWE’s “Raw” next year.
Of the other ad-supported services available, Peacock offers the biggest volume of live sporting events. This platform carries “Sunday Night Football” every week of the NFL season, alongside Big Ten football and basketball, auto racing from NASCAR and IndyCar, English Premier League soccer, every event of the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics, Notre Dame football games, and more.
There are lots of choices for watching live sports via ad-supported plans on streaming services, as each offers a different lineup. Paramount+ carries every NFL on CBS game available in the viewer’s local market on Sunday afternoons, as well as the UEFA Champions League. Prime Video is the exclusive home of national “Thursday Night Football” broadcasts, and Max carries all sporting events from the Turner Networks in its Bleacher Report add-on, which is still free to all subscribers. Still, when it comes to sheer volume Peacock offers the most bang for the fan’s buck.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” and “The Office,” as well as original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports including NFL, MLB, WWE, Olympics, Premier League, NASCAR, French Open, College Football and Basketball, and PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.