I ranked all the Black Friday streaming deals and there's a dramatic winner

Four streaming service logos over a black spottlight background.
(Image credit: NBCUniversal / Paramount / HBO / Disney)

I usually use the Black Friday streaming deals to pick up 'discounted trials' for services I want to use. While few services actually offer free trials anymore, the deals let me get discounted access to streamers so I can test out their offerings.

Quick deal links

Hulu ($0.99 per month for a year)
Paramount Plus ($1.99 per month for first 3 months)
Max: ($2.99 for first 6 months)
Peacock ($1.99 per month for a year)
Fubo ($80 off first 3 months)
Philo ($12.50 off for first month)

That's a little hard in 2023, though, and it's because the deals are too good — or should I say, there are too many of them. I wouldn't be able to watch all the movies and TV shows from every single reduced streamer out there!

So I've been purveying all the deals to work out which to pick up, and it's become clear that not all streaming deals are equal. They offer varying amounts of money off, but over different periods of time too, so it's a little tricky to work out which is offering the best deal.

To help me mathematically work out which streaming service discount to opt for, I decided to properly work out how much money was offered by each of them, so I could strategically pick whichever option was best for my bank account. I figured this information would be useful for you too, so here it is: I've ranked all of the streaming service deals, by how much money off they offer.

1. Hulu is the clear winner

Hulu ad-enabled: was $7.99 per monthnow $0.99 per month for first year
Total saving $84

Hulu ad-enabled: was $7.99 per month, now $0.99 per month for first year
Hulu has the best deal this year, because of how long it lasts. You're saving $7 every single month for an entire year, for a grand saving of $84, which beats out the others by a sizeable margin.

2. Peacock a respectable second

Peacock: was $5.99, now $1.99 for first 12 months
Total saving $48

Peacock: was $5.99, now $1.99 for first 12 months
Another year-spanning deal means that Peacock comes second place. However the new monthly price isn't as low, plus Peacock is cheaper than Hulu, so you're only saving $4 per month. That's still a nifty $48 grand total saved though!

3. Max a close third

Max ad-enabled: was $9.99now $2.99 for six months
Total saving $42

Max ad-enabled: was $9.99, now $2.99 for six months
A near third place goes to Max. While its monthly discount is the same as Hulu's at $7, the deal only lasts for 6 months instead of a full year, so the total saving is also only half. That's $42, which is still nothing to turn your nose up at, especially when you consider that Max is the most expensive streamer to get a deal.

4. Paramount Plus a distant fourth

Paramount Plus Essential: was $5.99$1.99 per month for first three months ()
Total saving $12

Paramount Plus Essential: was $5.99 $1.99 per month for first three months (usually $5.99)
Paramount Plus comes in at fourth place for one main reason: its discount only lasts for 3 months. While the monthly saving equals Peacock at $4, that goes for a year while this is only 3 months of savings. That brings the discount to $12 total, so I'd only recommend this for people who've already tried the above services and want something new.

By the way, I've removed live TV streaming service deals as they're just a different beast, but you can see them in the side bar at the top of the page. Also, if you're interested in the below, then you'll have to act fast as they wrap up on Cyber Monday or the day after (Tuesday, November 28).

Looking for other Black Friday discounts? Here's some more guides we've got:

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Tom Bedford
Streaming and Ecommerce Writer

Tom is the streaming and ecommerce writer at What to Watch, covering streaming services in the US and UK. His goal is to help you navigate the busy and confusing online video market, to help you find the TV, movies and sports that you're looking for without having to spend too much money.