AMC recently launched a premium channel and while it seems like a sweet deal, when you look at the big picture it is going to cost you more than you realize.
Currently, Comcast Xfinity customers can pay $5 a month ($60 a year) to watch AMC without ads, get bonus content and unseen footage from shows, and see new movies every month.
If it is a success AMC will offer it to all the cable providers.
Yeah, sounds good to me too… it’s a small price to pay to have no commercials as you watch live and get access to scenes others don’t.
But, as someone who has been seriously considering cutting the cord, when I start factoring in all the other streaming services I’d have to pay for it’s not as appealing anymore.
You see, the beauty of streaming services is that they allow viewers to watch their favorite shows not only ad-free but without a cable subscription, saving you lots of money.
However, as more and more cable networks offer streaming alternatives the price to watch subscription-free is creeping higher, a trend that shows no sign of slowing.
Right now I have Netflix and Hulu since they both offer different content, along with HBO Now and Showtime (through Hulu).
Netflix keeps raising their prices, so I’m paying $11.99 a month; HBO Now costs me $14.99 a month and Hulu with Showtime runs me $15 ($8 for Hulu and $8 for Showtime).
So in total, these streaming services run me $40 a month, which is not too bad; if I add on AMC it’s $5, which would still be fantastic- if that was all I had to pay and they offered everything I wanted to see.
I also have to figure in an Internet package, which is around another $60 a month, plus I need another service, like Sling, to cover the shows I can’t see on Netflix and the others.
Sling, at it’s cheapest, is around $25 a month and looking at what I need to see it will be closer to $40.
Which means I would be paying $145 a month without a cable subscription.
Sure, it’s cheaper, but not by much; and let’s be real, that number is sure to rise as more channels offer “premium” viewing options.
Besides, it can be a major hassle finding and streaming your favorite shows without a cable subscription.
Often times the legitimate links to the sites are impossible to find, broken, or you need a cable subscription to use it.
That’s why I’m not cutting the cord or signing up for AMC’s new service.
What do you think of AMC’s new premium channel?
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