July is almost here, marking the halfway point of the year. That makes it the ideal time to take stock of all your streaming services — and considering cutting some from the rotation for a month or two. Americans now pay an average of $46 a month for streaming services, according to Forbes — or a hefty $552 a year.
Fortunately, you can easily save money on streaming by churning services, which entails canceling and signing up again later when your favorite show returns.
For July 2024, I would cancel Hulu. While it's our pick for the best streaming service for new TV shows, this month's schedule is weak. You've likely already binged all of "The Bear" season 3, and very few high-profile titles are premiering. For those, you can always catch up by resubscribing next month. Here's why I would recommend canceling Hulu in July 2024.
No must-see Hulu originals are on the slate
As deep and wide as Hulu's library is, it's hard to justify paying for the service to watch old episodes of "Justified" or "Grey's Anatomy." A streamer's bread is buttered by originals, and in July, Hulu has very few to offer — just four and none of them are what I'd consider headliners.
The first, which drops July 11, is the brand-new docu-series "Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer," which comes from producers Dakota and Elle Fanning and director Abby Fuller. It puts the spotlight on Dr. Ann Burgess, who pioneered the development of serial killer profiling and was at the center of solving some of the most infamous crimes in American history.
"Hit-Monkey" season 2 follows on July 15. The animated series, based on Marvel comics, throws more challenges at the titular assassin and ghost mentor Bryce (voiced by Jason Sudeikis).
Kerry Washington's "Unprisoned" returns for a second season on July 17 with more complicated family dynamics, as Paige's therapy practice is in trouble and her dad Edwin is still trying to figure out life out of the cellblock.
Last, but not least, “Futurama” season 12 premieres July 29. Hulu's revival brings back the Bender, Leela and the rest of the beloved crew for more adventures.
While the latter three shows have their fans, and "Mastermind" looks like catnip for true crime lovers, none of them are so must-see to warrant a subscription. Better off waiting until next month to binge them all.
'The Bachelorette' is back on ABC — but you don't need Hulu
One of Hulu's biggest pros is access to ABC shows the day after they air. While most ABC shows are on hiatus until the fall, one big one anchors the summer like it always does — "The Bachelorette."
Season 21 of the long-running dating show premieres July 8 and airs every Monday night. Jenn Tran is the franchise's first Asian American lead and judging by the promos, her journey to find love looks like quite the roller coaster.
But you don't need to have Hulu to watch "The Bachelorette." You can tune into ABC for free the old-fashioned way — with one of the best TV antennas. The catch is that you have to watch live, rather than on-demand on your schedule like you can with Hulu.
Still, if you can deal with that, you'll save the $7.99 per month that Hulu costs (or $17.99 with no ads). That may not sound like a lot but churning out various streaming services throughout the year can save you over $100. Spend it on holiday shopping or a treat for yourself.
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