Verizon Offers Streaming Bundle with Netflix & Max — Is it Worth it?
Verizon Wireless just made streaming a little sweeter for 5G myPlan customers this holiday season, offering another streaming bundle at a discounted price.
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Verizon Wireless previously offered Disney Plus free to mobile subscribers with a 5G Get More or 5G Play More plan. Currently, the wireless carrier offers a Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN+ bundle as a perk to myPlan customers for just $10. That’s an $8.99 savings off purchasing the bundle through Disney Plus or Hulu. If you sign up for the bundle as a Verizon customer, monthly charges for the three services will be added to your Verizon Wireless bill.
Now, in an unprecedented move, the carrier is also offering a streaming bundle that includes Netflix and Max (formerly HBO Max). Why is this unusual?
While Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN all share the same parent company (The Walt Disney Company), Netflix and Max are completely separate entities. This means competing streaming services are bundling their services together through a third party.
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How Much Does the Netflix and Max Bundle Cost Through Verizon?
Verizon will offer myPlan customers access to Netflix and Max for $10 per month, a 40% savings. Since you can sign up for both the Disney Plus bundle and the Netflix and Max bundle at the same time, myPlan customers can get access to five streaming services for just $20 per month, according to a news release at Verizon.com.
On its own, Netflix costs $6.99 per month with ads, $15.49 per month for Standard customers (no ads and ability to stream on two devices within the same household at one time), or $22.99 per month, which includes unlimited ad-free viewing on up to 4 supported devices at one time. The Standard plans offer Full HD viewing, while Premium has the capability for streaming in Ultra HD on supported devices.
By itself, Max costs $10 for a plan with ads, $15.99 for ad-free viewing, and $19.99 for the Premium plan, with ad-free viewing in 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos Immersive Audio. The two basic plans allow streaming on two devices at one time. The Ultimate ad-free plan doubles those capabilities.
It’s easy to see that, for the price of just one service, you can get both services through Verizon Wireless. The drawback? Both Netflix and Max have ads in this offer, although you’ll be eligible to upgrade your Netflix subscription for an added cost.
A New Trend in Streaming?
On the heels of The Wall Street Journal reporting a potential partnership between Apple TV+ and Paramount+, the Netflix & Max bundle could indicate a new trend where competing services join forces under a third party to boost subscribers and retain customers.
However, USA Today shared that it is unclear if the Paramount+ and Apple TV+ deal will also function through an intermediary such as Verizon.
“I think we will see companies start to experiment with the bundling of competing services and analyze the data to evaluate the impact it has on their balance sheet,” streaming media analyst Dan Rayburn told USA Today. “However, there is no guarantee that bundling will cause more users to sign up and fewer users to churn.”
Is the Netflix & Max Bundle Worth It?
If you don’t mind ads, it’s hard to argue with, essentially, getting Netflix free with the purchase of Max. You must have a Verizon Wireless Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate Plan to take advantage of this offer.
Of course, depending on your mobile needs, less expensive wireless carriers exist, such as Mint Mobile. If you aren’t already a Verizon customer and happy with the company’s service and pricing, it may not be worth it to switch just for the cost savings of discounted streaming.
But if you are a satisfied Verizon customer looking to get more value from your mobile subscription, it could pay to take advantage of this plan.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Verizon Offers Streaming Bundle with Netflix & Max — Is it Worth it?
