News JVTech A minimum wage per year for series! Netflix, Disney+… I did the math and I know how to save money
Published on 03/19/2023 at 10:30
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Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Canal+, Crunchyroll… subscriptions to the various video-on-demand (SVOD) services are increasing. While streaming was supposed to simplify everyone’s life and make it possible to make big savings, the reality of the market in 2023 puts a small slap in the face of this utopia. It’s time to take stock.
Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime… how much do all the streaming services cost combined?
Sports fans already know the hell of subscriptions that accumulate. Following all football competitions, for example, requires subscribing to Canal+, beIN Sports and Amazon Prime. At least. For a person who loves series and movies and who wants to have access to the widest possible catalog through legal solutions, it’s even worse.
The democratization of streaming, on paper, seems an elegant solution to the problem of piracy. Since the Netflix boom, the conclusion is clear, clear and without appeal: the strategy has worked. Illegal downloading has decreased and the film industry is doing well.
Netflix’s winning formula has not remained without competition for long: a lot of big companies want their own streaming platform and they will invest as many millions as necessary. Today, you can find exclusive films and interesting series on… dozens of different platforms. If you want to subscribe to all the major streaming services in France, it costs roughly the equivalent of one minimum wage per year. I can prove this statement with a simple calculation!
In this calculation, I decided to add up the 11 most popular video on demand services in France. I could have added others such as Filmo TV and its 800 family films, the excellent Shadows specializing in genre cinema or the very popular across the Atlantic Hulu. The choice is relatively arbitrary, it must be admitted, but it gives a good idea of the prices charged and the diversity found in the world of SVOD.
Platform namePrice per monthPrice per yearNetflix 4K17,99€215,99€Disney+8,99€107,88€Amazon Prime Video5,8369,90€Pack Warner + HBO sur Amazon9,99€119,88€Crunchyroll Mega Fan6,49€77,88€Apple TV+6,99€83,88€Canal Plus Cine Series25,99€311,88€OCS10,99€131,88€Paramount+7,99€95,88€Molotov Extra5,99€71,88€Rakuten TV4,99€59,88€Total112,23€1347,70€
In March 2023, the date I am writing these lines, the net SMIC in France amounts to €1353. Subscribing to the 11 main streaming platforms therefore amounts to very little more than a month’s minimum wage.
There are not 36 different solutions to save money on subscriptions. Nevertheless, we have a few tips to share with you! Let’s start without further ado with the simplest and most obvious of all: knowing how to select offers.
We have just seen it, it is absurd to subscribe to 11 different services. Identify your needs, set a budget, and don’t subscribe to a service you’ll hardly ever use. If you are interested in a specific program, don’t forget that there is almost always a week or even a month of free trial: there’s plenty of time to finish a series! On AppleTV+ plus, for example, we can recommend the excellent series of SF Foundations to complete during the 7-day free trial.
You should also know that there are often several subscription formulas. On Netflix for example, the 4K subscription plan may not be mandatory if you have a very good TV. Indeed, the most high-end television models have powerful processors capable of simulating 4K with a lower quality source in an extremely impressive way. Between two subscription formulas, the prices can sometimes vary from simple to double!
Few people know this, but be aware that a lot of companies offer “bouquets” containing several subscriptions at a knockdown price. For example, the recent RAT+ offer reserved for people under 26 on the Canal site brings together no less than 5 major streaming services, including the very expensive Canal+ of course, for only €19.99 per month. In the same vein, a lot of internet box providers like Bouygues, SFR or even Free offer this kind of low-cost subscription packages.
For people who live in shared accommodation, for example, do not hesitate to pshare your codes with other household members ! Many streaming services allow multiple simultaneous screens, a good way to split costs!
Finally, consider VPNs. NordVPN, Cyberghost, SurfShark, ExpressVPN, the references are numerous. A VPN allows you to expand your streaming catalog on vacation abroad!
