The cheapest ways to get Disney+, Netflix and more
There are so many options for film and TV streaming that we’re spoilt for choice, especially at Christmas. But if there’s are festive favourites you really want to watch again or new releases you want to catch, you’ll find probably some of them aren’t on the service you’re already paying for (except for The Holiday which is on iPlayer, Disney, Prime, Netflix and NOW!).
So you’ll add on a new subscription, and maybe another. Which can get expensive pretty fast. Fortunately there are tricks and trials to help you pay less for most of the key streaming services.
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How to find where your favourite Christmas movie is streaming
You can of course scroll through all the streaming websites to see what they’ve got, but that takes up time!
Much easier is to use a website and app called JustWatch. You can type in any film or TV show you want to watch, and it’ll not just show you where it’s available, but also break down any costs – handy when it comes to rentals.
We’ve also listed below per service some of the big Christmas movies on each to act as inspiration, including a handful of little know gems you might not have caught, as selected by the team here.
Breaking the streaming rules
My normal advice when it comes to streaming subscriptions is to only every pay for one at any time. There’s so much available to watch on each one that you’re never going to be able to get full value for your money if you’re flitting between them. Especially so when you factor in free services such as BBC iPlayer (yes I know, you do pay the Licence Fee), and the ad supported tiers of ITVx and Channel 4.
But when it comes to Christmas, even I break this rule (a little). There are classics we watch every year, and it’s nice to have a larger choice of options when family are over.
However, I’m still doing this at bargain prices, and importantly, I’m making sure I cancel subscriptions so I don’t keep paying once we’re no longer worried about seasonal specials.
You might not be able to get the same deals I have (a few were Black Friday specials), but you can cut the costs of most options out there.
Save on Netflix
The hardest streamer to find deals for is Netflix. These do come and go (and we list them on our Netflix deals page when we spot them), but right now there aren’t any readily available ones.
Instead, to save money, your best bet is to find someone who already has a Standard or Premium subscription and ask them to add you as an “extra member”. This will give you your own account, with your own log-in details, but you’ll be limited to just one profile and you’ll only be able to watch and download on once device at any time.
This will cost them £4.99 or £5.99 a month (depending on whether you want ads or not), added to their normal bill, so you’ll need to send them the cash or agree some form of reciprocation. It’s an ongoing charge too, so if you don’t want it to carry on beyond Christmas make sure you let them know (they’ll need to cancel it).
Netflix Christmas favourites:
- That Christmas
- The Christmas Chronicles
- The Holdovers
- Love Actually (also ITV)
- Klaus (Zoe’s hidden gem)
Big Netflix December releases:
- Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
All my ways to save on this dedicated Netflix article
Save on NOW Cinema
Most of the big Christmas films are on Sky and NOW. With the latter it’ll cost you £9.99 for a month at full price, and another £6 to add on Boost which will make it advert free and in full HD. You’ll only get the Sky Cinema channels – the others for Entertainment and Sport will cost more on top.
Sadly, Sky knows this and there aren’t any deals right now to snap this up for less. That might change, so you could hold off too see if anything comes along in coming weeks (we’ll share them here if we spot them).
One option is to see if a friend of family member wants to split the costs – though you’ll need that extra Boost plan to allow this.
Alternatively if you do sign up at full price and find you want to keep watching in January, then go through the cancellation process for both your Cinema and Boost passes ahead of time and you’ll likely be offered a discount to stick with it.
NOW Christmas favourites:
- Scrooged
- Gremlins
- Arthur Christmas
- This is Christmas (Andy’s hidden gem)
Big NOW December releases:
- Sinners
All my ways to save on this dedicated NOW TV article
Save on Amazon Prime Video
Long time readers will know I’m not a fan of Amazon Prime. Despite all the extras, I think you end up spending more because you have it – especially if you pay upfront for the year at £95.
But there are some decent films and TV to watch, including new
The first way to cut the price is to check if you’re eligible for a free 30-day trial, even if you’ve had it before. And if you’re not, someone in your household might.
Alternatively you might be offered a week for 99p. That might be enough just to watch the shows you need to see. Just cancel it before you’re charged £8.99 for the next month.
If you can’t get either of these, then you can pay just £5.99 for Prime Video only (so you won’t get all the extras like free delivery), saving you £3. More on all these in our Prime Video deals page.
Amazon Prime Video Christmas favourites:
- It’s a Wonderful Life (also Channel 4)
- Scrooged (also Channel 4)
- Red One
- Your Christmas or Mine (Zoe’s hidden gem)
Big Amazon Prime Video December releases:
- Oh! What! Fun!
- The man with the bag
Save on Disney+
Sadly it’s too late to get a free year of Disney+ with ads via the Club Lloyds account as it takes a month to activate, but there are other ways to pay less.
If you’re ok with adverts, the Disney+ with Ads will cost you just £5.99 a month, £4 less than standard and £9 lower than Premium.
Uber One customers can often get free Disney+, and a year costs just £49. There are more Disney+ deals in our dedicated page.
Disney+ Christmas favourites:
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- The Muppets Christmas Carol
- Home Alone
Big Disney+ December releases:
- Taylor Swift: End of an Era
- The Roses
All the latest offers in our dedicated Disney+ article
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Save on Apple TV+
There aren’t many Christmas films or shows on Apple TV+, but if you’re keen to binge some box sets, a recent price hike means it costs £9.99 a month.
But you shouldn’t be paying that. I’ve had Apple TV+ for at least half of each year since it launched and I’m yet to pay a penny.
That’s thanks to frequent free trials for new customers and free offers for previous customers. We’ve listed them all in our Apple TV+ deals page.
Apple TV+ Christmas favourites:
- Spirited
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- The Velveteen Rabbit
Big Apple TV+ December releases:
- F1
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Save on Paramount+
You’ll want to be a completist for Paramount+ to be a Christmas essential, or really love those cheesy TV movies like “Christmas in Washington”.
If that’s you, then there is a 7-day trial available right now. If we spot any 30-day offers we’ll share them in our Paramount+ deal page.
Paramount+ Christmas favourites:
- Planes, Trains and Automobiles (also iPlayer)
- Trading Places (also on NOW)
Big Paramount+ December releases
- Roofman
Save on movie rentals
Of course, you don’t need to pay for a full month to stream some titles. Instead you can rent via services like Rakuten, Sky Store, Prime Video and Chili. In fact, this might be the only way to stream some films that aren’t available on any of the main subscriptions.
There are fewer and fewer discounts for these services, but Octoplus customers can grab a free Rakuten rental each month.
Rental Christmas favourites:
- 8-Bit Christmas
- Happiest Season (Andy’s hidden gem)
Watch free Christmas movies
And don’t forget about places you can watch film and TV for free. There will be some classics that’ll pop up on normal TV (the Christmas Radio Times is out now if you want to check), and you’ll be able to watch then on demand too via iPlayer, Channel 4 and ITVx.
There are also free streaming services like Amazon’s FreeVee and Rakuten TV which will also have some titles not available elsewhere.