Last year's Black Friday sale brought about a triple-bill of blockbuster deals - and then some. While there were plenty of offers on AirPods, TVs, and gaming consoles to get excited about, it was the Black Friday streaming deals that won all the awards, including 'Best Return to the Screen', won by the almighty Hulu, and the special 'Lifetime Award' for HBO Max.
But that was all so 2022. Looking ahead, 2023 sure is flying by, with only a few months to go until Black Friday returns on November 24. With the first of Amazon's Prime Day events under our belt, we've got an even better handle of what to expect from this year's sale event, with all our predictions when it comes to penny pinching outlined right here.
With consumers continuing to save where they can, more and more, we're here to help you cut back the costs of all the many subscriptions available today. Our Black Friday streaming deal forecasts can help you determine which services to jump on now and which you may be best served waiting out for a post-Black Friday binge.
has served us well over the last couple of years, returning again and again to give us as much as 80% off its monthly rates – and we're expecting to see it again. The same could also be said for HBO Max – now just 'Max' – though the culmination of its merger with Discovery Plus may mean a different discount on the HBO Max price – if we get one at all.
If not, Amazon Prime Video's Channel deals could be our lord and savior. Prime Day in July was the first and only instance we've seen Max discounted, able to add-on to an Amazon Prime subscription and save 50% on Max for your first two months. There were similar deals available across its other Channels, including AMC Plus, STARZ, Britbox, and more, with both US and UK subscribers able to benefit.
Paramount is a big fan of extending the Paramount Plus free trial, with discount codes for the offer popping up all year round. Now that Showtime's library has become a part of the pricier Premium Paramount Plus plan, we wouldn't be surprised if there was more fanfare (meaning savings) on the already excellent value bundle.
For our full forecast of the best streaming deals to expect come late November, we've delved into everything you need to know about the next batch of Black Friday streaming deals below for 2023.
Black Friday streaming FAQ
When is Black Friday 2023?
Every year Black Friday comes after US Thanksgiving (which falls on the fourth Thursday of November every year). That means in 2023, Black Friday will take place on Friday, November 24, with its sister-sale Cyber Monday happening on Monday, November 27.
What Black Friday streaming deals happened last year?
In 2022, there were some exceptional savings across a whole host of the best streaming services. Leading the charge was Hulu and HBO Max, both of which offered massive price slashes of up to 80% on monthly rates. Hulu offered subscribers a rate of just $1.99 a month for a whole 12 months, while HBO Max new and returning customers could pay the same for their first three months.
Showtime introduced a similar Black Friday streaming deal. Customers could pay just $3.99 a month for their first six months. And that's after the platform's usual 30-day free trial period.
US network providers CBS and NBC offered discounts on their respective on-demand services, too. On Paramount Plus you could save 50% on its annual plans, while Peacock TV went down from $4.99 a month to just 99cents.
There were also great deals on Prime Video channels like Shudder, Starz, and Paramount Network.
What Black Friday streaming deals do we expect in 2023?
It's fair to say streaming services can be notoriously stingy when it comes to deals - especially when you consider the removal of free trials... However, with Christmas just around the corner, some of our favorite platforms do decide to feel charitable to our wallets – and Black Friday is almost certainly the time for it.
In 2022, some streaming services struck out early with their Black Friday streaming deals, while others waited until the week of the event to show their hand. Mid to late November, then, you can expect to see exactly what deals are on offer, and we expect to see Hulu once again delivering on its huge price slash once again. With the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery Plus, we're uncertain whether we'll get a repeat of last year's similarly excellent HBO Max deal.
When it comes to Disney Plus, we're less sure whether we'll see a dedicated Black Friday offer. Disney Plus usually reserves its stellar offers for its Disney Plus Day celebrations, offering $1.99 for the first month to new and eligible returning subscribers two years on the trot.
That said, as streaming platforms face an even tougher market with customers more strategic about what they're subscribed to and subscriber counts fluctuating, we could see a bigger push from the likes of Disney and other platforms in 2023 depending on the consumer landscape in the latter half of the year.
2022's Black Friday streaming deals
The best way to get an indication of what to expect in terms of streaming deals during Black Friday 2023 is to see what happened last year. Many of the most popular streaming platforms got involved, with huge discounts on monthly plans that subscribers could lock in for a whole year, as well as free gifts, and more.
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