With a new month about to begin, it's a good time to take stock of your budget. Anyone looking to cut back a little should reconsider their streaming subscriptions. There are so many streaming services now, and paying for all of them really adds up.
Fortunately, it's really easy to churn services, which entails canceling one or more and signing up again later when your favorite show returns. Churning can save you quite a bit of money on streaming.
For May 2024, I would cancel Peacock. Maybe you signed up to watch "The Traitors" season 2 and kept it for next-day airings of NBC, Bravo and Syfy shows. Or perhaps you enjoyed access to acclaimed movies like "Oppenheimer" and "The Holdovers."
But in terms of new originals, Peacock's upcoming lineup is lackluster. Missing out on next-day airings will hurt a little, but then again, you can always catch up by resubscribing next month. Here's why I would recommend canceling Peacock in May 2024.
The only Peacock original I care about lands at the end of May
While streaming services rely heavily on library content, originals draw in and retain new users and retain them. But Peacock has few tempting originals this month.
The only one I really care about is "We Are Lady Parts" season 2. This true gem of a comedy is sweet, hilarious and irreverent, and features some legit bops. It highlights an underserved group, Muslim women. And these Muslim women like to rock!
The second season continues to follow the adventures of the punk band featuring lead guitarist Amina Hussain (Anjana Vasan), frontwoman Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey), bass player Bisma (Faith Omole) and drummer Ayesha (Juliette Motamed). Creator Nida Manzoor has promised that season 2 will "turn things up to 11" as the band navigates the ups and downs of succeeding in the local music scene.
But "We Are Lady Parts" season 2 doesn't premiere until May 30. As much as I love the show, I can easily wait two days and re-subscribe in June.
NBC and Bravo shows are still going — but there's a free way to watch
NBC shows like the "Law and Order" franchise, Chicago franchise and "The Voice" are still airing new episodes throughout May. So are Bravo shows like "Vanderpump Rules." With Peacock, you can stream those episodes the next day.
But you can watch NBC for free the old-fashioned way — with a TV antenna. Mine is hooked up to a Sling AirTV Anywhere device so I can record shows to watch later. But if you don't have this setup, some smart TVs have a built-in antenna or you can get an antenna to hook up to your smart TV.
As for Bravo, it's a cable channel but you can still watch without paying a dime by signing up for a free trial from Sling or Fubo. And with those live TV streaming services, you can watch the episode as it airs or record it to a cloud DVR.
The ad-free Peacock Premium Plus tier is $12. That may not sound like a lot but churning various services throughout the year can save you over $100. Spend it holiday shopping or on a treat for yourself.
What you'll miss by canceling Peacock this month
Before you follow my recommendation to cancel Peacock, you should be aware of what you'll miss out on this month.
The month's only other Peacock original of note is Eurovision 2024, which will stream exclusively on the service again. As weird and fun as Eurovision is, I'm not a die-hard fan. If you're obsessed enough to host parties with themed appetizers and drinks, maybe you need to keep Peacock for the month. But like me, you might be fine with catching some clips of standout performances on social media.
Additionally, Peacock will provide access to some major sporting events, including the Kentucky Derby, the Indianapolis 500 and the last few weeks of the Premier League season.
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