ReportWire

Tag: Subscription

  • Black Friday subscription and streaming deals include discounts on Apple TV+, HBO Max, Disney+, Proton VPN and more

    These days, Black Friday is the longest day of the year. We’re only halfway through November, but amazing deals are already popping up for some of our favorite subscription services. This is a great time to lock in a long-term deal on a streaming platform, but there’s even more to explore beyond that, from a big discount on Quicken (which you can use to chart all the money you’re saving) and one of the best offers I’ve ever seen for DeleteMe (which cleans your personal data off the internet while you kick back with your new Amazon Prime Video subscription. We’ll update this list for the rest of the month as new deals go live.

    On this list, we’ve gathered the top sales of all kinds of subscriptions. We’ve got some of the best VPNs to keep you anonymous online, MasterClass deals to continue your education with thrilling celebrity-led courses, and streaming deals for TV marathons on those long winter nights. Grab your favorites and join me in the money pit (actual swimming not advised).

    Best Black Friday subscription deals

    MasterClass

    MasterClass is one of our favorite gift subscriptions. If you often find yourself on the internet without knowing why, MasterClass has hundreds of celebrity-led courses to help you put that time to good use. Each one is split into bite-size videos so you can control how much you study at a time. Highlights right now include creative writing classes from Margaret Atwood, home cooking lessons from Alice Waters and a crash course in battlefield tactics from General Stanley McChrystal.

    $90 (50 percent off) at MasterClass

    Quicken Simplifi (one year) for $36 (50 percent off): We named Quicken Simplifi the best budgeting app this year largely because it lives up to its name. This is the cleanest budgeting app on the market, with an interface designed to welcome newcomers and no key information more than a scroll away. It’s also cheap, especially with this Black Friday deal, and very good at detecting and categorizing your important transactions.

    Monarch Money (one year) for $50 (50 percent off with code MONARCHVIP): Monarch Money, our other favorite budgeting app, is giving new users half off for Black Friday. It’s a little more complex than Quicken Simplifi, but it also gives you finer-grained control, including detailed reporting, balance sheets and instant graphs. The standout goals feature lets you establish savings and wealth baselines that feel amazing when you hit them.

    Rosetta Stone Lifetime Unlimited subscription for $149 (60 percent off): Rosetta Stone was pioneering visual language courses back when software still came in boxes, and it’s still one of the best language learning apps. Today, its method works as well as ever, with patient learning based on pictures, terms and recordings. This deal gets you a full lifetime subscription with access to all 25 languages in the library.

    Audible (three months) for $3 (80 percent off): For literally $1 per month, you can get access to Audible’s enormous library of published audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals (which can be anything from never-before-heard books to live performances). It’s only three months, after which you’ll have to cancel or renew at the regular price, but an audiobibliophile can cram a lot of listening into the 90 days after Black Friday.

    Headspace (one year) for $35 (50 percent off): Out of all the meditation apps available, Headspace is our favorite. It doesn’t just help you relax and de-stress, but also teaches you to practice meditation as a skill, with sessions building on each other in organized courses. There’s a massive library of standalone guided meditations with all kinds of instructors, and it’s easy to search for the ones that work best for you. This deal gives you half off a full year.

    Calm Premium (one year) for $40 (50 percent off): Once you’ve finished your Headspace meditation, head over to Calm for every other stress-relieving activity you can think of. This packed subscription gives you a huge library of relaxing content, from music and restful soundscapes to its popular “sleep stories” with celebrity narrators telling bedtime stories for children and adults alike. If you’ve ever wanted to be lulled to sleep by Harry Styles, Matthew McConaughey or Idris Elba, this app is for you.

    1Password (one year) for $29 (50 percent off): Using a password manager is one of the most important cybersecurity steps you can take right now. 1Password generates strong, unique passwords for every account, then saves them to autofill when you need them. We named it the best password manager in honor of its well-designed user interface and cross-platform compatibility.

    LastPass Premium (one year) for $18 (50 percent off): LastPass is another great password manager. We briefly stopped recommending it after a couple of data breaches early last year, but it’s patched up its security and seems to be firing on all cylinders again. Whether it suits you better than 1Password will come down to personal preference, but LastPass’s deal is slightly better this year.

    DeleteMe (all services) for 30 percent off with code BFCM30OFF25: DeleteMe scrubs your information from people search sites and other public-facing data brokers, dramatically reducing your online presence. It’s a time-saving and user-friendly automation of a process that can be a real hassle without it. Since using it monthly, we’ve noticed a sharp decrease in the amount of spam emails, texts and calls to our personal addresses.

    Adobe Creative Cloud (one year) for $389 (50 percent off): Adobe Creative Cloud is half off for one year right now, coming out to $389 for one year when you pay upfront. (There’s a discounted $35 monthly rate as well, working out to $420 for the year.) Creative Cloud is Adobe’s most comprehensive design package, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere and over 20 other apps. Whip up a website with Dreamweaver, paint on a digital canvas with Fresco or edit photos in Lightroom. It’s a pretty steep cost for an individual, but puts a one-year subscription well within reach of a creative business.

    Best Black Friday streaming deals

    Image for the large product module

    HBO Max

    HBO Max’s streaming lineup needs no introduction — The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, The White Lotus and The Last of Us are all in the Max mix, plus dozens more of the shows that helped conjure Peak TV. This deal comes with access to Warner Brothers film hits like Barbie and Dune, plus Discovery’s reality lineup. This one-year subscription is the version with ads, but the savings are massive enough to make that worthwhile.

    $36 (72 percent off) at HBO Max

    Apple TV+ (6 months) for $36 ($42 off): Apple TV+ has another of the best Black Friday streaming deals this year, offering a six months of access for only $36, which comes out to only $6 per month. The deal is live now for new and returning subscribers. Through December 1, you’ve got a great chance to stream shows like Severance, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less — just remember the deal only applies if you subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

    Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ads (one year) for $60 (61 percent off): Disney took its time announcing its Black Friday deal on the newly merging Disney+ and Hulu, but the wait was worth it. This steep discount saves you more than 60 percent over the regular monthly price. Just in time for family gatherings, you’ll have free access to Encanto and Moana 2 for the kids, The Bear and Only Murders in the Building for the adults, and Marvel and Star Wars adventures for everybody.

    Paramount+ (2 months) for $6 ($20 off): Paramount+ is doing its Black Friday deal a little differently. Instead of a reasonably cheap long-term plan, you get an incredibly cheap short-term deal — two months for less than a Starbucks run costs these days. That’s more than enough time to binge Yellowjackets, Dexter: Resurrection or Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, along with weeks of NFL games through CBS Sports.

    Fubo Pro (first month) for $55 (35 percent off): Fubo is the live TV service that helps sports lovers cut the cord. When you sign up, it asks you your favorite teams, then automatically records every game they play. Fubo Pro includes 249 channels, covering everything from your local NFL and NBA networks to real ESPN8 (The Ocho) content like PowerSports World. There are even plenty of non-sports channels, and with 10 allowed screens per subscription, your whole family can enjoy the selection at once.

    Sling TV Orange Day Pass for $1 (80 percent off): Sling TV is one of the best live streaming services, and has one of streaming TV’s most unique deals: a commitment-free day pass that lets you stream whatever you want for 24 hours, including cable channels and exclusive sports. Normally, a day pass costs $5, but this Black Friday deal knocks that all the way down to $1.

    Plex (lifetime pass) for $150 (40 percent off): Plex offers personal media servers you can use to organize your digital collection — imagine your own curated Netflix homepage that nothing ever vanishes from. It’s also a streaming platform in its own right, with movies and TV from all genres and eras. Plex did just raise its prices, so now’s your chance to get a lifetime pass for close to what it used to cost.

    Walmart+ (one year) for $49 (50 percent off): No, Walmart hasn’t started its own streaming platform, but it would probably have some pretty great drama. What you do get with Walmart+ is free shipping on carts over $35, exclusive deals, drone delivery in some cities and more. And if you did come here for streaming, Walmart+ also comes with your choice of Peacock Premium of Paramount+ Essential (we recommend Peacock Premium because it’s more expensive on its own).

    Fox One (six months) for $20 (50 percent off): Fox One is the newest streaming service on this list, launching just this August. It provides access to everything in the Fox catalog, including its sports and entertainment TV. Six months for $20 isn’t quite as good a deal as Paramount+ is giving out, but it may still be a bargain if you’re worried about losing Fox channels from your YouTube TV subscription.

    Best VPN deals for Black Friday

    Image for the large product module

    Proton

    Proton VPN is our pick for the best VPN — a secure, trustworthy app that doesn’t sacrifice features, speed or usability. Although its free plan does come with unlimited data, we recommend upgrading to get the full set of servers and features. With this deal, you’ll get servers in 117 countries; better yet, every one of those we’ve tested so far can unblock Netflix.

    $59.76 (75 percent off) at Proton

    ExpressVPN Basic (15 months) for $74.85 (61 percent off): ExpressVPN may be the most user-friendly VPN for sale right now, with fast download speeds (only 7 percent losses in our last test), quick connections and apps designed to stay out of your way. It’s not the most feature-rich, but it excels at any bread-and-butter VPN task, staying leak-free and unblocking Netflix everywhere. You also get access to server locations in 105 countries.

    Surfshark Starter (27 months) for $53.73 (87 percent off): According to the tests we ran for our latest review, Surfshark is the fastest VPN right now, with its download speeds, upload speeds and latencies all beating out competitors. It has more to offer beyond speed, too, as it’s able to constantly rotate your IP address and generate double VPN paths between any two servers you choose.

    NordVPN Basic (27 months) for $80.73 (74 percent off): NordVPN got very positive marks in our last review, where we called out its fast internet speeds, wide network of server locations and selection of exclusive features. It comes with a range of dedicated servers for obfuscation, onion routing, torrenting and more. Plus, it’s one of the first VPNs getting a jump on post-quantum encryption.

    CyberGhost VPN (28 months) for $56.84 (84 percent off): CyberGhost is always cheap — in fact, we named it the best budget VPN — but it’s never behaved like an economy option. Its Smart Rules automation controls are the deepest in the industry, and its server network reaches 100 countries. Speeds are also quite good, though connections occasionally take a moment to establish.

    Private Internet Access VPN (40 months) for $79.20 (83 percent off): Although we weren’t wholly positive about Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) in our recent review, we can’t deny it’s a worthwhile choice for an affordable VPN. Although speeds can fluctuate, it comes with lots of desirable features on all platforms, like port forwarding (which makes torrents more stable) and two kinds of split tunneling.

    Sam Chapman

    Source link

  • Black Friday subscription and streaming deals include huge savings on HBO Max, Apple TV+, MasterClass, Rosetta Stone and more

    I love locking in a cheap subscription deal during a discount period like Black Friday or Cyber Monday. It always feels like I’ve gotten away with something — for the rest of the year, I can relax in my Scrooge McDuck money pit while all the other losers are paying full price. Just as one example: Black Friday streaming deals on Disney and Hulu are cheaper than ever right now, so take advantage as soon as you can.

    On this list, we’ve gathered the top sales of all kinds of subscriptions. We’ve got some of the best VPNs to keep you anonymous online, MasterClass deals to continue your education with thrilling celebrity-led courses, and streaming deals for TV marathons on those long winter nights. Grab your favorites and join me in the money pit (actual swimming not advised).

    Best Black Friday subscription deals

    MasterClass

    MasterClass is one of our favorite gift subscriptions. If you often find yourself on the internet without knowing why, MasterClass has hundreds of celebrity-led courses to help you put that time to good use. Each one is split into bite-size videos so you can control how much you study at a time. Highlights right now include creative writing classes from Margaret Atwood, home cooking lessons from Alice Waters and a crash course in battlefield tactics from General Stanley McChrystal.

    $90 (50 percent off) at MasterClass

    Quicken Simplifi (one year) for $36 (50 percent off): We named Quicken Simplifi the best budgeting app this year largely because it lives up to its name. This is the cleanest budgeting app on the market, with an interface designed to welcome newcomers and no key information more than a scroll away. It’s also cheap, especially with this Black Friday deal, and very good at detecting and categorizing your important transactions.

    Monarch Money (one year) for $50 (50 percent off with code MONARCHVIP): Monarch Money, our other favorite budgeting app, is giving new users half off for Black Friday. It’s a little more complex than Quicken Simplifi, but it also gives you finer-grained control, including detailed reporting, balance sheets and instant graphs. The standout goals feature lets you establish savings and wealth baselines that feel amazing when you hit them.

    Rosetta Stone Lifetime Unlimited subscription for $149 (60 percent off): Rosetta Stone was pioneering visual language courses back when software still came in boxes, and it’s still one of the best language learning apps. Today, its method works as well as ever, with patient learning based on pictures, terms and recordings. This deal gets you a full lifetime subscription with access to all 25 languages in the library.

    Audible (three months) for $3 (80 percent off): For literally $1 per month, you can get access to Audible’s enormous library of published audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals (which can be anything from never-before-heard books to live performances). It’s only three months, after which you’ll have to cancel or renew at the regular price, but an audiobibliophile can cram a lot of listening into the 90 days after Black Friday.

    Headspace (one year) for $35 (50 percent off): Out of all the meditation apps available, Headspace is our favorite. It doesn’t just help you relax and de-stress, but also teaches you to practice meditation as a skill, with sessions building on each other in organized courses. There’s a massive library of standalone guided meditations with all kinds of instructors, and it’s easy to search for the ones that work best for you. This deal gives you half off a full year.

    Calm Premium (one year) for $40 (50 percent off): Once you’ve finished your Headspace meditation, head over to Calm for every other stress-relieving activity you can think of. This packed subscription gives you a huge library of relaxing content, from music and restful soundscapes to its popular “sleep stories” with celebrity narrators telling bedtime stories for children and adults alike. If you’ve ever wanted to be lulled to sleep by Harry Styles, Matthew McConaughey or Idris Elba, this app is for you.

    1Password (one year) for $24 (50 percent off): Using a password manager is one of the most important cybersecurity steps you can take right now. 1Password generates strong, unique passwords for every account, then saves them to autofill when you need them. We named it the best password manager in honor of its well-designed user interface and cross-platform compatibility.

    LastPass Premium (one year) for $18 (50 percent off): LastPass is another great password manager. We briefly stopped recommending it after a couple of data breaches early last year, but it’s patched up its security and seems to be firing on all cylinders again. Whether it suits you better than 1Password will come down to personal preference, but LastPass’s deal is slightly better this year.

    DeleteMe (all services) for 30 percent off with code BFCM30OFF25: DeleteMe scrubs your information from people search sites and other public-facing data brokers, dramatically reducing your online presence. It’s a time-saving and user-friendly automation of a process that can be a real hassle without it. Since using it monthly, we’ve noticed a sharp decrease in the amount of spam emails, texts and calls to our personal addresses.

    Adobe Creative Cloud (one year) for $389 (50 percent off): Adobe Creative Cloud is half off for one year right now, coming out to $389 for one year when you pay upfront. (There’s a discounted $35 monthly rate as well, working out to $420 for the year.) Creative Cloud is Adobe’s most comprehensive design package, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere and over 20 other apps. Whip up a website with Dreamweaver, paint on a digital canvas with Fresco or edit photos in Lightroom. It’s a pretty steep cost for an individual, but puts a one-year subscription well within reach of a creative business.

    Best Black Friday streaming deals

    Image for the large product module

    HBO Max

    HBO Max’s streaming lineup needs no introduction — The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, The White Lotus and The Last of Us are all in the Max mix, plus dozens more of the shows that helped conjure Peak TV. This deal comes with access to Warner Brothers film hits like Barbie and Dune, plus Discovery’s reality lineup. This one-year subscription is the version with ads, but the savings are massive enough to make that worthwhile.

    $36 (72 percent off) at HBO Max

    Apple TV+ (6 months) for $36 ($42 off): Apple TV+ has another of the best Black Friday streaming deals this year, offering a six months of access for only $36, which comes out to only $6 per month. The deal is live now for new and returning subscribers. Through December 1, you’ve got a great chance to stream shows like Severance, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less — just remember the deal only applies if you subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

    Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ads (one year) for $60 (61 percent off): Disney took its time announcing its Black Friday deal on the newly merging Disney+ and Hulu, but the wait was worth it. This steep discount saves you more than 60 percent over the regular monthly price. Just in time for family gatherings, you’ll have free access to Encanto and Moana 2 for the kids, The Bear and Only Murders in the Building for the adults, and Marvel and Star Wars adventures for everybody.

    Paramount+ (2 months) for $6 ($20 off): Paramount+ is doing its Black Friday deal a little differently. Instead of a reasonably cheap long-term plan, you get an incredibly cheap short-term deal — two months for less than a Starbucks run costs these days. That’s more than enough time to binge Yellowjackets, Dexter: Resurrection or Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, along with weeks of NFL games through CBS Sports.

    Fubo Pro (first month) for $55 (35 percent off): Fubo is the live TV service that helps sports lovers cut the cord. When you sign up, it asks you your favorite teams, then automatically records every game they play. Fubo Pro includes 249 channels, covering everything from your local NFL and NBA networks to real ESPN8 (The Ocho) content like PowerSports World. There are even plenty of non-sports channels, and with 10 allowed screens per subscription, your whole family can enjoy the selection at once.

    Sling TV Orange Day Pass for $1 (80 percent off): Sling TV is one of the best live streaming services, and has one of streaming TV’s most unique deals: a commitment-free day pass that lets you stream whatever you want for 24 hours, including cable channels and exclusive sports. Normally, a day pass costs $5, but this Black Friday deal knocks that all the way down to $1.

    Plex (lifetime pass) for $150 (40 percent off): Plex offers personal media servers you can use to organize your digital collection — imagine your own curated Netflix homepage that nothing ever vanishes from. It’s also a streaming platform in its own right, with movies and TV from all genres and eras. Plex did just raise its prices, so now’s your chance to get a lifetime pass for close to what it used to cost.

    Walmart+ (one year) for $49 (50 percent off): No, Walmart hasn’t started its own streaming platform, but it would probably have some pretty great drama. What you do get with Walmart+ is free shipping on carts over $35, exclusive deals, drone delivery in some cities and more. And if you did come here for streaming, Walmart+ also comes with your choice of Peacock Premium of Paramount+ Essential (we recommend Peacock Premium because it’s more expensive on its own).

    Fox One (two months) for $20 (50 percent off): Fox One is the newest streaming service on this list, launching just this August. It provides access to everything in the Fox catalog, including its sports and entertainment TV. Two months for $20 isn’t quite as good a deal as Paramount+ is giving out, but it may still be a bargain if you’re worried about losing Fox channels from your YouTube TV subscription.

    Best VPN deals for Black Friday

    Image for the large product module

    Proton

    Proton VPN is our pick for the best VPN — a secure, trustworthy app that doesn’t sacrifice features, speed or usability. Although its free plan does come with unlimited data, we recommend upgrading to get the full set of servers and features. With this deal, you’ll get servers in 117 countries; better yet, every one of those we’ve tested so far can unblock Netflix.

    $59.76 (75 percent off) at Proton

    ExpressVPN Basic (15 months) for $52.39 (73 percent off): ExpressVPN may be the most user-friendly VPN for sale right now, with fast download speeds (only 7 percent losses in our last test), quick connections and apps designed to stay out of your way. It’s not the most feature-rich, but it excels at any bread-and-butter VPN task, staying leak-free and unblocking Netflix everywhere. You also get access to server locations in 105 countries.

    Surfshark Starter (27 months) for $53.73 (87 percent off): According to the tests we ran for our latest review, Surfshark is the fastest VPN right now, with its download speeds, upload speeds and latencies all beating out competitors. It has more to offer beyond speed, too, as it’s able to constantly rotate your IP address and generate double VPN paths between any two servers you choose.

    NordVPN Basic (27 months) for $80.73 (74 percent off): NordVPN got very positive marks in our last review, where we called out its fast internet speeds, wide network of server locations and selection of exclusive features. It comes with a range of dedicated servers for obfuscation, onion routing, torrenting and more. Plus, it’s one of the first VPNs getting a jump on post-quantum encryption.

    CyberGhost VPN (28 months) for $56.84 (84 percent off): CyberGhost is always cheap — in fact, we named it the best budget VPN — but it’s never behaved like an economy option. Its Smart Rules automation controls are the deepest in the industry, and its server network reaches 100 countries. Speeds are also quite good, though connections occasionally take a moment to establish.

    Private Internet Access VPN (40 months) for $79.20 (83 percent off): Although we weren’t wholly positive about Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) in our recent review, we can’t deny it’s a worthwhile choice for an affordable VPN. Although speeds can fluctuate, it comes with lots of desirable features on all platforms, like port forwarding (which makes torrents more stable) and two kinds of split tunneling.

    Sam Chapman

    Source link

  • Black Friday subscription deals include discounts on HBO Max, Apple TV+, MasterClass, Rosetta Stone and more

    These days, Black Friday is the longest day of the year. We’re a week out from the big day, but amazing deals are already popping up for some of our favorite subscription services. This is a great time to lock in a long-term deal on a streaming platform like Apple TV or HBO Max, but there’s even more to explore beyond that, from a big discount on MasterClass (to pick up a new hobby with all the money you’re saving) and one of the best offers I’ve ever seen for DeleteMe (which cleans your personal data off the internet while you kick back with your new Amazon Prime Video subscription. We’ll update this list for the rest of the month as new deals go live.

    Best Black Friday subscription deals

    MasterClass

    MasterClass is one of our favorite gift subscriptions. If you often find yourself on the internet without knowing why, MasterClass has hundreds of celebrity-led courses to help you put that time to good use. Each one is split into bite-size videos so you can control how much you study at a time. Highlights right now include creative writing classes from Margaret Atwood, home cooking lessons from Alice Waters and a crash course in battlefield tactics from General Stanley McChrystal.

    $90 (50 percent off) at MasterClass

    Quicken Simplifi (one year) for $36 (50 percent off): We named Quicken Simplifi the best budgeting app this year largely because it lives up to its name. This is the cleanest budgeting app on the market, with an interface designed to welcome newcomers and no key information more than a scroll away. It’s also cheap, especially with this Black Friday deal, and very good at detecting and categorizing your important transactions.

    Monarch Money (one year) for $50 (50 percent off with code MONARCHVIP): Monarch Money, our other favorite budgeting app, is giving new users half off for Black Friday. It’s a little more complex than Quicken Simplifi, but it also gives you finer-grained control, including detailed reporting, balance sheets and instant graphs. The standout goals feature lets you establish savings and wealth baselines that feel amazing when you hit them.

    Rosetta Stone Lifetime Unlimited subscription for $149 (60 percent off): Rosetta Stone was pioneering visual language courses back when software still came in boxes, and it’s still one of the best language learning apps. Today, its method works as well as ever, with patient learning based on pictures, terms and recordings. This deal gets you a full lifetime subscription with access to all 25 languages in the library.

    Audible (three months) for $3 (80 percent off): For literally $1 per month, you can get access to Audible’s enormous library of published audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals (which can be anything from never-before-heard books to live performances). It’s only three months, after which you’ll have to cancel or renew at the regular price, but an audiobibliophile can cram a lot of listening into 90 days.

    Headspace (one year) for $35 (50 percent off): Out of all the meditation apps available, Headspace is our favorite. It doesn’t just help you relax and de-stress, but also teaches you to practice meditation as a skill, with sessions building on each other in organized courses. There’s a massive library of standalone guided meditations with all kinds of instructors, and it’s easy to search for the ones that work best for you. This deal gives you half off a full year.

    Calm Premium (one year) for $40 (50 percent off): Once you’ve finished your Headspace meditation, head over to Calm for every other stress-relieving activity you can think of. This packed subscription gives you a huge library of relaxing content, from music and restful soundscapes to its popular “sleep stories” with celebrity narrators telling bedtime stories for children and adults alike. If you’ve ever wanted to be lulled to sleep by Harry Styles, Matthew McConaughey or Idris Elba, this app is for you.

    1Password (one year) for $24 (50 percent off): Using a password manager is one of the most important cybersecurity steps you can take right now. 1Password generates strong, unique passwords for every account, then saves them to autofill when you need them. We named it the best password manager in honor of its well-designed user interface and cross-platform compatibility.

    DeleteMe (all services) for 30 percent off with code BFCM30OFF25: DeleteMe scrubs your information from people search sites and other public-facing data brokers, dramatically reducing your online presence. It’s a time-saving and user-friendly automation of a Since using it monthly, we’ve noticed a sharp decrease in the amount of spam emails, texts and calls to our personal addresses.

    Adobe Creative Cloud (one year) for $389 (50 percent off): Adobe Creative Cloud is half off for one year right now, coming out to $389 for one year when you pay upfront. (There’s a discounted $35 monthly rate as well, working out to $420 for the year.) Creative Cloud is Adobe’s most comprehensive design package, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere and over 20 other apps. Whip up a website with Dreamweaver, paint on a digital canvas with Fresco or edit photos in Lightroom. It’s a pretty steep cost for an individual, but puts a one-year subscription well within reach of a creative business.

    Best Black Friday streaming deals

    Image for the large product module

    HBO Max

    HBO Max’s streaming lineup needs no introduction — The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, The White Lotus and The Last of Us are all in the Max mix, plus dozens more of the shows that helped conjure Peak TV. This deal comes with access to Warner Brothers film hits like Barbie and Dune, plus Discovery’s reality lineup. This one-year subscription is the version with ads, but the savings are massive enough to make that worthwhile.

    $36 (72 percent off) at HBO Max

    Apple TV+ (6 months) for $36 ($42 off): Apple TV+ is offering a six months of access for only $36 for Black Friday, which comes out to only $6 per month. The deal is live now for new and returning subscribers. Through December 1, you’ve got a great chance to stream shows like Severance, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less — just remember the deal only applies if you subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

    Fubo Pro (first month) for $55 (35 percent off): Fubo is the live TV service that helps sports lovers cut the cord. When you sign up, it asks you your favorite teams, then automatically records every game they play. Fubo Pro includes 249 channels, covering everything from your local NFL and NBA networks to real ESPN8 (The Ocho) content like PowerSports World. There are even plenty of non-sports channels, and with 10 allowed screens per subscription, your whole family can enjoy the selection at once.

    Sling TV Orange Day Pass for $1 (80 percent off): Sling TV is one of the best live streaming services, and has one of streaming TV’s most unique deals: a commitment-free day pass that lets you stream whatever you want for 24 hours, including cable channels and exclusive sports. Normally, a day pass costs $5, but this Black Friday deal knocks that all the way down to $1.

    Plex (lifetime pass) for $150 (40 percent off): Plex offers personal media servers you can use to organize your digital collection — imagine your own curated Netflix homepage that nothing ever vanishes from. It’s also a streaming platform in its own right, with movies and TV from all genres and eras. Plex did just raise its prices, so now’s your chance to get a lifetime pass for close to what it used to cost.

    Walmart+ (one year) for $49 (50 percent off): No, Walmart hasn’t started its own streaming platform, but it would probably have some pretty great drama. What you do get with Walmart+ is free shipping on carts over $35, exclusive deals, drone delivery in some cities and more. And if you did come here for streaming, Walmart+ also comes with your choice of Peacock Premium of Paramount+ Essential (we recommend Peacock Premium because it’s more expensive on its own).

    Best VPN deals for Black Friday

    Image for the large product module

    Proton

    is our pick for the — a secure, trustworthy app that doesn’t sacrifice features, speed or usability. Although its free plan does come with unlimited data, we recommend upgrading to get the full set of servers and features. With this deal, you’ll get servers in 117 countries; better yet, every one of those we’ve tested so far can unblock Netflix.

    $59.76 (75 percent off) at Proton

    ExpressVPN Basic (15 months) for $52.39 (73 percent off): ExpressVPN may be the most user-friendly VPN for sale right now, with fast download speeds (only 7 percent losses in our last test), quick connections and apps designed to stay out of your way. It’s not the most feature-rich, but it excels at any bread-and-butter VPN task, staying leak-free and unblocking Netflix everywhere. You also get access to server locations in 105 countries.

    Surfshark Starter (27 months) for $53.73 (87 percent off): According to the tests we ran for our latest review, Surfshark is the fastest VPN right now, with its download speeds, upload speeds and latencies all beating out competitors. It has more to offer beyond speed, too, as it’s able to constantly rotate your IP address and generate double VPN paths between any two servers you choose.

    NordVPN Basic (27 months) for $80.73 (74 percent off): NordVPN got very positive marks in our last review, where we called out its fast internet speeds, wide network of server locations and selection of exclusive features. It comes with a range of dedicated servers for obfuscation, onion routing, torrenting and more. Plus, it’s one of the first VPNs getting a jump on post-quantum encryption.

    CyberGhost VPN (28 months) for $56.84 (84 percent off): CyberGhost is always cheap — in fact, we named it the best budget VPN — but it’s never behaved like an economy option. Its Smart Rules automation controls are the deepest in the industry, and its server network reaches 100 countries. Speeds are also quite good, though connections occasionally take a moment to establish.

    Private Internet Access VPN (40 months) for $79.20 (83 percent off): Although we weren’t wholly positive about Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) in our recent review, we can’t deny it’s a worthwhile choice for an affordable VPN. Although speeds can fluctuate, it comes with lots of desirable features on all platforms, like port forwarding (which makes torrents more stable) and two kinds of split tunneling.

    Sam Chapman

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  • Black Friday subscription deals 2025: Early sales on Apple TV+, MasterClass, Fubo, Rosetta Stone and more

    This page is your go-to resource for Black Friday subscription deals. From now through the end of November and beyond, we’ll be scouring the internet to find the steepest discounts and cheapest offers for all the best subscription services. The top streaming platforms are all giving out subscriptions like they were leftover turkey, but we’ve also found great deals on VPNs you can use to coax even more out of your streaming subscriptions. There are great learning apps, too, like Rosetta Stone and MasterClass, plus even more deals on services like DeleteMe and Quicken. Check back here daily — we’re always adding exciting new deals to the list.

    Best Black Friday subscription deals

    MasterClass

    MasterClass is one of our favorite gift subscriptions. If you often find yourself on the internet without knowing why, MasterClass has hundreds of celebrity-led courses to help you put that time to good use. Each one is split into bite-size videos so you can control how much you study at a time. Highlights right now include creative writing classes from Margaret Atwood, home cooking lessons from Alice Waters and a crash course in battlefield tactics from General Stanley McChrystal.

    $90 (50 percent off) at MasterClass

    Quicken Simplifi (one year) for $36 (50 percent off): We named Quicken Simplifi the best budgeting app this year largely because it lives up to its name. This is the cleanest budgeting app on the market, with an interface designed to welcome newcomers and no key information more than a scroll away. It’s also cheap, especially with this Black Friday deal, and very good at detecting and categorizing your important transactions.

    Monarch Money (one year) for $50 (50 percent off with code MONARCHVIP): Monarch Money, our other favorite budgeting app, is giving new users half off for Black Friday. It’s a little more complex than Quicken Simplifi, but it also gives you finer-grained control, including detailed reporting, balance sheets and instant graphs. The standout goals feature lets you establish savings and wealth baselines that feel amazing when you hit them.

    Rosetta Stone Lifetime Unlimited subscription for $149 (60 percent off): Rosetta Stone was pioneering visual language courses back when software still came in boxes, and it’s still one of the best language learning apps. Today, its method works as well as ever, with patient learning based on pictures, terms and recordings. This deal gets you a full lifetime subscription with access to all 25 languages in the library.

    Audible (three months) for $3 (80 percent off): For literally $1 per month, you can get access to Audible’s enormous library of published audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals (which can be anything from never-before-heard books to live performances). It’s only three months, after which you’ll have to cancel or renew at the regular price, but an audiobibliophile can cram a lot of listening into 90 days.

    Headspace (one year) for $35 (50 percent off): Out of all the meditation apps available, Headspace is our favorite. It doesn’t just help you relax and de-stress, but also teaches you to practice meditation as a skill, with sessions building on each other in organized courses. There’s a massive library of standalone guided meditations with all kinds of instructors, and it’s easy to search for the ones that work best for you. This deal gives you half off a full year.

    Calm Premium (one year) for $40 (50 percent off): Once you’ve finished your Headspace meditation, head over to Calm for every other stress-relieving activity you can think of. This packed subscription gives you a huge library of relaxing content, from music and restful soundscapes to its popular “sleep stories” with celebrity narrators telling bedtime stories for children and adults alike. If you’ve ever wanted to be lulled to sleep by Harry Styles, Matthew McConaughey or Idris Elba, this app is for you.

    1Password (one year) for $24 (50 percent off): Using a password manager is one of the most important cybersecurity steps you can take right now. 1Password generates strong, unique passwords for every account, then saves them to autofill when you need them. We named it the best password manager in honor of its well-designed user interface and cross-platform compatibility.

    DeleteMe (all services) for 30 percent off with code BFCM30OFF25: DeleteMe scrubs your information from people search sites and other public-facing data brokers, dramatically reducing your online presence. It’s a time-saving and user-friendly automation of a Since using it monthly, we’ve noticed a sharp decrease in the amount of spam emails, texts and calls to our personal addresses.

    Adobe Creative Cloud (one year) for $420 (50 percent off): Creative Cloud is Adobe’s most comprehensive design package, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere and over 20 other apps. Whip up a website with Dreamweaver, paint on a digital canvas with Fresco or edit photos in Lightroom. It’s a pretty steep cost for an individual, but puts a one-year subscription well within reach of a creative business.

    Best Black Friday streaming deals

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    Fubo

    Fubo is the live TV service that helps sports lovers cut the cord. When you sign up, it asks you your favorite teams, then automatically records every game they play. Fubo Pro includes 249 channels, covering everything from your local NFL and NBA networks to real ESPN8 (The Ocho) content like PowerSports World. There are even plenty of non-sports channels, and with 10 allowed screens per subscription, your whole family can enjoy the selection at once.

    $55 (35 percent off) at Fubo.tv

    Apple TV+ (6 months) for $36 ($42 off): Apple TV+ is offering six months of access for only $36 for Black Friday, which comes out to a discounted price of $6 per month for the six-month period. The deal is live now for new and eligible returning subscribers and runs through December 1, giving you a chance to stream shows like Silo, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less. The biggest caveat to the deal is that you must subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

    Sling TV Orange Day Pass for $1 (80 percent off): Sling TV is one of the best live streaming services, and has one of streaming TV’s most unique deals: a commitment-free day pass that lets you stream whatever you want for 24 hours, including cable channels and exclusive sports. Normally, a day pass costs $5, but this Black Friday deal knocks that all the way down to $1.

    Plex (lifetime pass) for $150 (40 percent off): Plex offers personal media servers you can use to organize your digital collection — imagine your own curated Netflix homepage that nothing ever vanishes from. It’s also a streaming platform in its own right, with movies and TV from all genres and eras. Plex did just raise its prices, so now’s your chance to get a lifetime pass for close to what it used to cost.

    Walmart+ (one year) for $49 (50 percent off): No, Walmart hasn’t started its own streaming platform, but it would probably have some pretty great drama. What you do get with Walmart+ is free shipping on carts over $35, exclusive deals, drone delivery in some cities and more. And if you did come here for streaming, Walmart+ also comes with your choice of Peacock Premium of Paramount+ Essential (we recommend Peacock Premium because it’s more expensive on its own).

    Best VPN deals for Black Friday

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    Proton

    is our pick for the — a secure, trustworthy app that doesn’t sacrifice features, speed or usability. Although its free plan does come with unlimited data, we recommend upgrading to get the full set of servers and features. With this deal, you’ll get servers in 117 countries; better yet, every one of those we’ve tested so far can unblock Netflix.

    $59.76 (75 percent off) at Proton

    ExpressVPN Basic (15 months) for $52.39 (73 percent off): ExpressVPN may be the most user-friendly VPN for sale right now, with fast download speeds (only 7 percent losses in our last test), quick connections and apps designed to stay out of your way. It’s not the most feature-rich, but it excels at any bread-and-butter VPN task, staying leak-free and unblocking Netflix everywhere. You also get access to server locations in 105 countries.

    Surfshark Starter (27 months) for $53.73 (87 percent off): According to the tests we ran for our latest review, Surfshark is the fastest VPN right now, with its download speeds, upload speeds and latencies all beating out competitors. It has more to offer beyond speed, too, as it’s able to constantly rotate your IP address and generate double VPN paths between any two servers you choose.

    NordVPN Basic (27 months) for $80.73 (74 percent off): NordVPN got very positive marks in our last review, where we called out its fast internet speeds, wide network of server locations and selection of exclusive features. It comes with a range of dedicated servers for obfuscation, onion routing, torrenting and more. Plus, it’s one of the first VPNs getting a jump on post-quantum encryption.

    CyberGhost VPN (28 months) for $56.84 (84 percent off): CyberGhost is always cheap — in fact, we named it the best budget VPN — but it’s never behaved like an economy option. Its Smart Rules automation controls are the deepest in the industry, and its server network reaches 100 countries. Speeds are also quite good, though connections occasionally take a moment to establish.

    Private Internet Access VPN (40 months) for $79.20 (83 percent off): Although we weren’t wholly positive about Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) in our recent review, we can’t deny it’s a worthwhile choice for an affordable VPN. Although speeds can fluctuate, it comes with lots of desirable features on all platforms, like port forwarding (which makes torrents more stable) and two kinds of split tunneling.

    Sam Chapman

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  • Black Friday streaming deal: Sling Orange Day Passes are only $1 right now

    Sling TV is one of the best live streaming streaming services out there right now, giving you the option to watch a number of traditional cable channels without the traditional, locked-in price of a cable subscription. For Black Friday, you can save on Sling TV’s newly announced $5 Day Passes. That $5 price is the regular cost — for a limited time through November 30, a Day Pass for Sling Orange is only $1 and that includes access to 34 channels like ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPN 3.

    Besides ESPN, the Sling Orange Day Pass includes access to TNT and TBS, which makes it a solid option if you’re trying to watch the NBA, NFL or college sports. The pass also includes children’s channels like Disney Channel and Nick Jr., CNN for news and HGTV and Food Network for purer forms of lean back entertainment. Sling TV is Engadget’s pick for the best customizable live streaming service for a reason: You can add on extra premium channels when you buy a pass, and their price will be prorated for whatever length you choose. That way even if a dollar isn’t getting you all the channels you need, you don’t need to pay that much more to get them.

    Sling TV

    It’s worth noting, while this promotion runs during Thanksgiving in the US, a Sling Orange subscription won’t get you access to the football games scheduled for that Thursday. To watch those, you’ll need at least a Sling Blue subscription, which includes FS1 and NFL Network, but isn’t available as a day-long pass. A Sling Blue subscription currently starts at $46 a month.

    Still, for your $1, around $4 off the price Sling TV normally charges, you’re getting a deal. Dozens of popular channels, access to Sling TV’s DVR feature, and the ability to use your subscription from a smartphone, tablet, the web or your TV. Plus, Sling TV’s interface is easy to navigate, which is what you want when you’re likely subscribing with one game or show in mind.

    Ian Carlos Campbell

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  • You can still get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $20 a month by buying pre-paid codes

    Microsoft recently jacked up the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $30 a month, but you may not have to pay that increased rate just yet. Online retailers are still selling codes for prepaid Game Pass subscriptions at the previous $20-per-month rate. Case in point: you can pay just $60 for three-month code from Amazon, stack your codes and keep your subscription without having to downgrade or cancel.

    Xbox

    You can still purchase pre-paid Game Pass codes at their original price.

    $60 at Amazon

    As the highest tier in Game Pass, an Ultimate subscription gives you the ability to download and play a library of over 200 games on your PC or Xbox. With Xbox Cloud Gaming, you can also stream the majority of those games to other devices, too, whether it’s a smartphone, LG TV or in-car display. It’s worth noting, though, the benefits of Ultimate did change with the introduction of the higher price. Microsoft shared that Ultimate subscribers will now also receive the benefits of an Ubisoft+ subscription at no additional cost, a $16 a month value that unlocks access to a back catalog of Ubisoft games from franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry. Starting in November, the new Ultimate subscription also includes access to Fortnite Crew, Epic’s $12 a month plan that gives you V-Bucks, battle passes and more in Fortnite.

    While those new benefits might justify a higher price monetarily, whether that’s a convincing reason to stay subscribed is a separate question. This likely won’t be the last time Microsoft will raise the price of its subscription service. Avoiding those fees by buying pre-paid Game Pass codes seems like an excellent way to try out the new Ultimate before committing to cancelling your subscription, downgrading your plan or sticking with Microsoft’s new price. You can purchase three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $60 a month. Stacking four three-month codes should come out to around $240.

    Ian Carlos Campbell

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  • ExpressVPN switches to multi-tiered pricing with more feature options

    ExpressVPN has tripled its subscription options by switching to a tiered pricing structure, effective today. The new system includes three levels of service, the cheapest offering basic VPN service and the others adding extra features. Each one of those levels — Basic, Advanced and Pro — can be purchased for monthly, yearly or two-year durations.

    In total, you’ve now got nine different options for subscribing to ExpressVPN. The company also says legacy plans will remain active “for now,” and current customers won’t be downgraded. The change is similar to the approach already used by rivals like NordVPN and Surfshark.

    Previously, ExpressVPN locked feature offerings to the duration of the plan, so the only way to get the full suite of features was to subscribe for 24 months. Now, while longer-term subscriptions will still offer discounts, features depend on your level of subscription instead of how long it lasts.

    The new tiers roll in some features that were previously part of ExpressVPN’s Identity Defender suite, including identity monitoring, credit reports and data removal services. New types of plans will also bump the number of allowed simultaneous connections to as high as 14. Here’s what you’ll get with each tier.

    The Basic plan comes with “core VPN functionality,” which includes the Lightway protocol, the Network Lock kill switch and split tunneling on Windows, Android and macOS 10 and below. Basic users will also have access to the blockers for ads and malicious sites, though not the tracker blocker or parental controls. A Basic subscription can be used on 10 devices at once and will cost $12.99 for a month, $74.85 for a year and $97.72 for two years.

    The Advanced plan raises the device limit to 12 and adds the blockers and parental controls, plus the ExpressVPN Keys password manager. It also gives you three days of eSIM service and adds the Identity Defender features — leak alerts, $1 million of identity theft insurance, data removal and credit monitoring. As was already the case, those ID protection features are available only to users in the United States.

    An Advanced plan will cost $13.99 for a month, $89.85 for a year and $125.72 for two years. The one-year and two-year plans are both cheaper than the same duration used to cost. Advanced subscribers also get five days of eSIM service and a discount coupon for between 25 and 50 percent off an ExpressVPN Aircove router (it’s not currently clear how the exact discount will be determined).

    Although Basic and Advanced users can pay extra (between $3.99 and $8.99) for a dedicated IP address, it comes standard on a Pro subscription. Pro users additionally get monthly credit reports and data removal, 14 simultaneous connections and an Aircove discount between 50 and 75 percent. A Pro plan costs $19.99 for a month, $134.95 for a year and $209.72 for two years.

    What ExpressVPN tiered pricing means for VPN shoppers

    Ultimately, I don’t think this new approach will change much about the experience of using ExpressVPN. It’s not introducing any new features; I already touched on everything here in my recent ExpressVPN review, so the only difference is how much you’ll pay to access the perks.

    The best news for consumers is that ExpressVPN is now available for significantly cheaper than before. A two-year Basic plan costs about 30 percent less than a two-year subscription used to — though a one-year basic plan is still more expensive than a comparable subscription to Proton VPN or Surfshark. I’m happy to say a Basic subscription is about as strong as ExpressVPN has always been, only missing a few peripheral features.

    We’ve recently overhauled our ranking of the best VPNs, including the new information from ExpressVPN — check out the full list in the link.

    Update, September 4, 2025, 5:03PM ET: This story has been updated to add a statement from an ExpressVPN representative on the features of the Basic plan.

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    Sam Chapman

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  • MasterClass Labor Day sale: Get 50 percent off subscriptions

    If you want to brush up on some skills or learn new ones, MasterClass offers a good way to do just that. The streaming service has hundreds of classes taught by professionals and experts in their fields, and now you can get a subscription for 50 percent less than usual. All MasterClass membership tiers are on sale right now, so you can sign up for as low as $5 per month.

    With a subscription, you could watch a class on writing taught by James Patterson, or learn cooking techniques from Thomas Keller. If you’re trying to impress at your next pickup basketball game you could learn about shooting, ball-handling and scoring from Steph Curry. Each class includes around 20 video lessons that run about 10 minutes long on average, as well as an in-depth workbook.

    MasterClass

    A MasterClass subscription is 50 percent off during this Labor Day sale.

    $96 at MasterClass

    MasterClass has also begun producing some original series for its platform. The series Business Rebels features different CEOs walking viewers through the strategies that helped them disrupt their industries. One entitled Skin Health features top dermatologists and a cosmetic chemist walking viewers through keeping their skin healthy through cleansing routines and specific beauty products.

    The wide range of skills or life lessons you could learn through these classes is why MasterClass is on our list of best subscriptions you can give as gifts. Maybe your loved one who loves to host dinner parties could use some tips from Gordon Ramsay.

    There are three subscription tiers for MasterClass that each differ only in how many devices they allow at one time, and whether offline videos are supported. The Standard subscription only supports one device, whereas the Plus subscription allows two. These are normally $10 and $15 per month, respectively, and neither offers offline mode. The Premium tier, which carries a regular price of $20 per month, allows up to six devices and features offline mode for downloaded classes.

    All three tiers are part of the 50 percent off sale, which marks them down to $5, $8 and $10 respectively. MasterClass bills annually, so be sure to calculate the total from the “monthly” price before deciding.

    Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

    Andre Revilla

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  • MasterClass subscriptions are half off for Labor Day

    MasterClass promises online learning with instructors who are the very best in their fields, and an annual subscription is currently 50 percent off across all tiers. Subscribers to MasterClass will have access to over 200 classes taught by iconic authors, chefs, athletes and leaders representing a diverse collection of skill sets and backgrounds.

    With a subscription, you could watch a class on writing taught by James Patterson, or learn cooking techniques from Thomas Keller. If you’re trying to impress at your next pickup basketball game you could learn about shooting, ball-handling and scoring from Steph Curry. Each class includes around 20 video lessons that run about 10 minutes long on average, as well as an in-depth workbook.

    MasterClass

    A MasterClass subscription is 50 percent off during this Labor Day sale.

    $96 at MasterClass

    MasterClass has also begun producing some original series for its platform. The series Business Rebels features different CEOs walking viewers through the strategies that helped them disrupt their industries. One entitled Skin Health features top dermatologists and a cosmetic chemist walking viewers through keeping their skin healthy through cleansing routines and specific beauty products.

    The wide range of skills or life lessons you could learn through these classes is why MasterClass is on our list of best subscriptions you can give as gifts. Maybe your loved one who loves to host dinner parties could use some tips from Gordon Ramsay.

    There are three subscription tiers for MasterClass that each differ only in how many devices they allow at one time, and whether offline videos are supported. The Standard subscription only supports one device, whereas the Plus subscription allows two. These are normally $10 and $15 per month, respectively, and neither offers offline mode. The Premium tier, which carries a regular price of $20 per month, allows up to six devices and features offline mode for downloaded classes.

    All three tiers are part of the 50 percent off sale, which marks them down to $5, $8 and $10 respectively. MasterClass bills annually, so be sure to calculate the total from the “monthly” price before deciding.

    Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

    Andre Revilla

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  • MasterClass deal: Get half off subscriptions for Labor Day

    If you want to brush up on some skills or learn new ones, MasterClass offers a good way to do just that. The streaming service has hundreds of classes taught by professionals and experts in their fields, and now you can get a subscription for 50 percent less than usual. All MasterClass membership tiers are on sale right now, so you can sign up for as low as $5 per month.

    With a subscription, you could watch a class on writing taught by James Patterson, or learn cooking techniques from Thomas Keller. If you’re trying to impress at your next pickup basketball game you could learn about shooting, ball-handling and scoring from Steph Curry. Each class includes around 20 video lessons that run about 10 minutes long on average, as well as an in-depth workbook.

    MasterClass

    A MasterClass subscription is 50 percent off during this Labor Day sale.

    $96 at MasterClass

    MasterClass has also begun producing some original series for its platform. The series Business Rebels features different CEOs walking viewers through the strategies that helped them disrupt their industries. One entitled Skin Health features top dermatologists and a cosmetic chemist walking viewers through keeping their skin healthy through cleansing routines and specific beauty products.

    The wide range of skills or life lessons you could learn through these classes is why MasterClass is on our list of best subscriptions you can give as gifts. Maybe your loved one who loves to host dinner parties could use some tips from Gordon Ramsay.

    There are three subscription tiers for MasterClass that each differ only in how many devices they allow at one time, and whether offline videos are supported. The Standard subscription only supports one device, whereas the Plus subscription allows two. These are normally $10 and $15 per month, respectively, and neither offers offline mode. The Premium tier, which carries a regular price of $20 per month, allows up to six devices and features offline mode for downloaded classes.

    All three tiers are part of the 50 percent off sale, which marks them down to $5, $8 and $10 respectively. MasterClass bills annually, so be sure to calculate the total from the “monthly” price before deciding.

    Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

    Andre Revilla

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  • Unbelievable facts

    Unbelievable facts

    In 2022, BMW launched subscriptions for UK customers, offering heated front seats at £15 per month…

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  • It’s almost time for T-Mobile customers to claim their free year of MLB.TV

    It’s almost time for T-Mobile customers to claim their free year of MLB.TV

    T-Mobile’s annual deal for baseball fans is back. From Tuesday through Sunday, the carrier’s customers can claim a free yearlong subscription to MLB.TV for live and on-demand streaming access to the entire Major League Baseball season.

    This is the ninth straight year T-Mobile has offered the deal, which the companies have extended through 2028. MLB.TV lets you watch all out-of-market regular-season games and select Spring Training games. (Unfortunately, blackout restrictions, universally loathed by everyone not profiting from them, apply to in-market games.) They stream in HD, and the service supports DVR and in-game playback controls.

    The streaming package usually costs $150 for the season or $30 per month, so this is a nice perk for baseball fans. You can claim the offer in the T Life (formerly T-Mobile Tuesdays) app (iOS and Android) from tomorrow through Sunday only, so don’t forget to claim it during that short window.

    As a promotional gimmick to help plug the deal, T-Mobile is introducing a “Secret Baseball Button.” The Bluetooth device connects to your computer and can be set to “discreetly switch from baseball to ‘work’ with the literal click of a button.” (It’s the same idea as the March Madness Boss Button, only in physical form.) If you care about such things, you can enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win one.

    Will Shanklin

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  • Netflix shelves basic membership plan in the US; Here’s what options remain for viewers

    Netflix shelves basic membership plan in the US; Here’s what options remain for viewers

    In a recent move, Netflix has bid farewell to its basic membership plan without ads in the U.S. The streaming giant has now updated its Help Center page, announcing that the Basic plan is no longer available for new or rejoining members. However, existing members on the Basic plan can continue enjoying its benefits until they choose to change plans or cancel their account.

    Netflix makes changes in subscription options

    Netflix users in the U.K. and Canada have previously experienced a similar shift, as the $9.99-per-month basic membership was phased out. The streaming platform now offers two ad-free alternatives: the Standard plan at $15.49 per month and the Premium plan at $19.99 per month. Additionally, the Standard with Ads option, which comes at a price $3 cheaper than the discontinued basic plan, remains available for members to choose from.

    While this change may raise questions among subscribers, Netflix maintains that its prices are competitive and deliver great value to consumers. The company cites its starting prices of $6.99 in the U.S. and £4.99 in the U.K., emphasizing the extensive range and top-notch quality of its catalog. Netflix aims to enhance user experience while maintaining its position as a leading provider of premium entertainment content.

    ALSO READ: Netflix renews popular content as it cancels 8 shows, announces 6 endings; Read details

    About Netflix’s Ad-supported plan and its success

    Approximately eight months ago, Netflix introduced its ad-supported plan at a monthly cost of $6.99. This offering quickly garnered a substantial user base, with around 5 million active users in the U.S., the U.K., and 10 other countries by May. As the streaming giant approaches its second-quarter results disclosure, industry experts are keen to see how this ad-supported option continues to perform.

    When questioned about the recent changes and pricing, Netflix expressed confidence in its decision, affirming the value it brings to customers through its diverse content library and competitive prices. The streaming service remains committed to providing a top-notch viewing experience to its ever-growing subscriber base.

    As Netflix adapts its subscription options and policies, it continues to be a dominant force in the streaming industry. The company’s growth in subscribers over the past year demonstrates the ongoing appeal of its vast array of captivating shows and movies.

    ALSO READ: How to watch Netflix on your TV

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  • How Richard Rushfield’s The Ankler Took on Hollywood

    How Richard Rushfield’s The Ankler Took on Hollywood

    Netflix is far from a death spiral, but one of the biggest media stories of 2022 turned out to be the company’s stunning subscriber stumble. The streamer lost almost half its stock value and came to be seen as a potential acquisition target. I asked Rushfield if he felt vindicated. “I wanna jump up and down,” he said, “and yell ‘I told you so’ every day.”

    Rushfield, 54, grew up in Pacific Palisades and attended Santa Monica’s prestigious Crossroads School, where he overlapped with future hotshots like Matthew Greenfield, Jay Sures, Brett Morgen, Jason Blumenthal, Maya Rudolph, and Jack Black. Rushfield’s younger sister, the TV writer Alexandra Rushfield, was friends at Crossroads with Jenni Konner, who went on to showrun HBO’s Girls with Lena Dunham. At Hampshire College in Western Massachusetts, Rushfield frequented punk shows—X, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Henry Rollins (he saw Black Flag in high school)—and wrote a decidedly gothy senior thesis about Jacques-Louis David’s paintings from the French Revolution (Marat bleeding to death in a bathtub, etc.). After graduating, he followed the grunge-era playbook of loafing around without a plan. Then he landed an entry-level gig with the ’92 Clinton campaign, sharing a small cigarette-smoke-filled office with Noah Shachtman, now editor in chief of Rolling Stone. “Even when we were kids, he was a figure from a different era,” Shachtman recalls. “I felt like he had stepped out of a Raymond Chandler novel.”

    After working as a field organizer for several other Democratic campaigns, Rushfield pursued a writing career. His first byline, a front-of-book item for Los Angeles magazine, highlighted a stand-up comedy show featuring rising stars like David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Patton Oswalt, Margaret Cho, and Janeane Garofalo. (He became friends with a lot of these folks.) “I think it ran two sentences and I got $25,” Rushfield recalls. In 1998, he and his friend Adam Leff conceived a Spy-inspired trend-forecasting charticle, “The Intelligence Report,” which caught the eye of Graydon Carter. He gave them a contract with this magazine, where the column appeared several times a year until 2010. (Rushfield has also written a few features for Vanity Fair.) By the mid-2000s, Rushfield was working as a web editor at the Los Angeles Times, where a print higher-up once told him the only reason people wanted the online versions of articles was so they could print them out to read in the bathtub. He embraced the web, where he ended up spending the majority of his professional life. In 2009, Rushfield left the Times to become West Coast editor of Gawker. He then wrote a book about American Idol and did tours of BuzzFeed, Yahoo, and, finally, HitFix, where he was editor in chief before the site was acquired in 2016. “The second half of my career was working on every website, essentially,” he told me.

    The Ankler almost didn’t happen. After HitFix, Rushfield was accepted to the USC Rossier School of Education to pursue a graduate degree in teaching. Around the same time, inspired by the success of The Information, Jessica Lessin’s subscription-powered tech-news publication, he started sending an email digest to a small group of friends, who started showing it to their friends, who then forwarded it to their friends. Before he knew it, he had an impressive distribution list. “It started getting passed around very quickly to the executive class,” Rushfield told me. He decided against USC Rossier and put his eggs in The Ankler instead. “It took me time to get up the guts to put down a paywall, but I made that leap.”

    Rushfield first met Min at the Golden Globes about a decade ago, “stuck at the kids’ table in the back,” Min joked. A former People and InStyle reporter and editor who became a mid-aughts media star as the editor in chief of Us Weekly, Min was in the midst of her celebrated reinvention of The Hollywood Reporter, which she ran until 2017. In 2021, as Min recovered from a brief stint at the train wreck that was Quibi, she and Rushfield started talking. “The Ankler had come to my attention because people were forwarding it to me, pretty senior people in the industry,” she recalls. “My thoughts were that entertainment was undergoing these crazy upheavals, both culturally and in the business model, and nobody was really owning that conversation.” They made it official with a New York Times piece shortly before Christmas and entered the Y Combinator program several months later. “In Silicon Valley terms,” Min said, “Richard would be ‘the product.’ ”

    The Ankler is no stranger to courtship. Penske Media, whose near-monopoly on major entertainment titles includes THR, Variety, Deadline, Billboard, and Rolling Stone, made a number of overtures up until several weeks before Rushfield and Min announced their business relationship. (Variety put an offer on the table in 2019 to add The Ankler to its newsletter lineup; later, Penske Media boss Jay Penske pursued an acquisition.) Additionally, Puck had conversations with Rushfield prior to its own launch. Min and Rushfield later explored partnerships with Axios and Lessin, an early Ankler booster who’d welcomed Rushfield into The Information’s inaugural accelerator program. Ankler Media’s decision to remain independent—albeit with investors—and to continue publishing on Substack, where they’re part of a growing crop of full-fledged publications, reflected a desire to “control our own destiny,” as Min put it.

    What does The Ankler’s destiny look like? Min envisions “a universe of bundled subscriptions” and a push into international markets. “The story of streaming is that it hit the ceiling in the United States before it was supposed to,” she said. “So everyone’s saying, ‘Let’s try to make money somewhere else,’ aggressively looking toward markets like Japan, India, Latin America, and that’s a great story.” When I asked for a pie-in-the-sky target of paid subscribers, she didn’t flinch: “a hundred thousand.” If they manage to get there—that’s a lot of paying subscribers!—it won’t have been easy. “I think they’re off to a tremendous start, but the road ahead is hard,” said Lessin, one of Ankler Media’s investors. “It’s a really difficult, long path.”

    In early 2018, Lessin hosted Rushfield and the other members of The Information’s first accelerator class at her home in San Francisco. Over dinner, she asked her guests to describe their five-year aspirations. When it was Rushfield’s turn, he said, “What drew me to newsletters was the chance to really write something meaningful and to be able to do your best work. If, five years from now, I could be doing that on a stable basis, I’ll be thrilled.”

    Here we are, five years later. I called Rushfield late one night while wrapping up this piece and read back his quote from Lessin’s soiree. “I couldn’t believe I was getting away with speaking so honestly and freely about this industry back then,” he said. “I still can’t believe I’m getting away with it.”

    HAIR, CHECHEL JOSON (MIN); MAKEUP, TAYLOR BABAIAN; GROOMING, STACY SKINNER; TAILOR, HASMIK KOURINIAN. SET DESIGN, BETTE ADAMS. PRODUCED ON LOCATION BY PRODUCTION SQUAD. FOR DETAILS, GO TO VF.COM/CREDITS.

    Joe Pompeo

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  • Bracing For A Recession, Twitter Cutting Costs And Moving To Subscription Based Model

    Bracing For A Recession, Twitter Cutting Costs And Moving To Subscription Based Model

    Elon Musk isn’t losing time revamping Twitter. One of Musk’s first moves at the company was the firing of four key executives, as well as the entire board of directors, with plans reportedly in the works to lay off thousands of employees.

    Although the company had already planned a major staff reduction, Edward Chen, a data scientist formerly in charge of Twitter’s
    TWTR
     spam and health metrics and currently CEO of Surge AI (a content moderation start-up), told the Washington Post the proposal cited in the media to cut roughly 75% of employees was unimaginable. He said it would put users at risk of hacks and exposure to child pornography and other offensive content.

    Still, with a recession looming, tough decisions must be made and Musk is moving quickly to make sure the social media company isn’t reliant as much on advertising revenue, which tends to tank during an economic downturn. At the same time, he is dramatically cutting costs to try and get Twitter’s margins moving rapidly upwards.

    Despite being a private company, the billionaire did convince Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey to roll his nearly $1 billion 2.4% stake in the public Twitter into the new private Twitter, and Saudi Prince Alwaleed confirmed that he also rolled his $1.9 billion position into the company, making him the second largest shareholder. Alwaleed and Kingdom Holding now own approximately 4% of Twitter.

    In addition, Musk convinced a number of high-profile investors to put billions in the company, so he is under pressure to make changes quickly.

    One proposed change which didn’t go over very well with users was a planned implementation of a $20/month charge so that high-profile users can keep their blue check mark showing that they are a verified account. In essence, it’s a way to avoid fake news because consumers and the media can quickly find out if the comments are from the actual person.

    Musk defended the $20/month charge but later back-tracked to an $8/month charge after a backlash from some users, although he did note that the cost would vary by country. A survey sent out by Jason Calacanis, a longtime start-up investor who encouraged Musk to buy Twitter, asked how much they would pay to have the blue check mark. Of the 1.9 million who responded, more than 80% said they wouldn’t pay anything. The second most popular was $5/month, which got 10% of the votes.

    Many people will have an adverse reaction, even those who can well afford it like author Stephen King who tweeted last October, “$20 a month to keep my blue check? Fuck that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron.”

    “We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot entirely rely on advertisers. How about $8?” responded Musk. The Information’s Jessica Lessin responded with an article saying, “I’m far more interested in leaving that emotion aside and focusing on the business rationale of charging Twitter users $8 a month to be “verified” and for other features, like seeing fewer ads. Many commentators have pointed out that this subscription tier isn’t likely to net Twitter much money. There are 423,700 users verified currently. If they all paid, that would be $41 million in new revenue.”

    However, Musk seems to be targeting a more broad adoption of the monthly fee, tweeting “Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit.”

    FiveThirtyEight political writer Nate Silver had a similar reaction to Stephen King. “I’m probably the perfect target for this, use Twitter a ton, can afford $20/mo, not particularly anti-Elon, but my reaction is that I’ve generated a ton of valuable free content for Twitter over the years and they can go fuck themselves,” he wrote on Twitter.

    Musk is also planning to convert the $4.99 premium service called Twitter Blue, which has a function allowing you to edit your tweets 30 minutes after posting them as well as test new features before they are rolled out, into a required subscription for those who want to keep their verified status. He reportedly told employees to get the program in place by November 7 or they are fired. The price point on the revamped service is set to rise from $4.99/month to $7.99/month.

    Another issue Musk is facing is getting advertisers on board. Both Havas Media and Interpublic Group
    IPG
     have told their clients they should temporarily stop advertising on Twitter due to concerns over the company’s ability to monitor its content.

    Also weighing heavily on Musk’s mind must be data which was exclusively reported by Reuters that heavy tweeters—which account for less than 10% of users but 90% of all tweets and half of global revenue—have been in “absolute decline since the pandemic.” This came from an internal document entitled “Where did the Tweeters Go?” which was obtained by Reuters.

    Heavy tweeters are defined as those who login six or seven days a week and tweet about three to four times a week. Unfortunately, news, sports and entertainment, all attractive to advertisers, are in decline amongst English-speaking heavy tweeters while cryptocurrency and “Not Safe For Work,” NFSW (which includes nudity and pornography), are rising rapidly for this group. Adult content comprises 13% of content on twitter and is not popular with most advertisers.

    This is certainly a challenge short-term as Musk has said that anyone previously removed from the service for violating its rules won’t be allowed back onto the platform until the company has a clear process in place, which will be at least a few weeks.

    He said, “Twitter’s content moderation council will include representatives with widely divergent views, which will certainly include the civil rights community and groups who face hate-fueled violence.”

    This may be leaving ad agencies and advertisers scratching their heads as to what the product will look like and which advertisers it will be attractive to. Elon Musk is very quick to change course so it may be wise for advertisers to sit on the sidelines to wait and see how the social media platform evolves.

    Derek Baine, Contributor

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  • Celebrate World Whiskey Day on May 21 with Artisanal Whiskeys for Home Tasting

    Celebrate World Whiskey Day on May 21 with Artisanal Whiskeys for Home Tasting

    Curated selections of craft whiskeys from Shots Box are the perfect way for people to celebrate World Whiskey Day with tastings at home.

    Press Release
    –

    May 9, 2022


    LOS ANGELES, May 9, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    In Ireland’s Gaelic language, the word “whiskey” means “water of life.” There’s no better time to celebrate this legendary drink than World Whiskey Day, on May 21, and no better way to experience it than with a sampling of artisanal whiskeys from Ireland and around the world from Shots Box.

    Shots Box provides curated selections of small-batch and craft whiskeys that allow anyone to celebrate with a real tasting experience in the comfort of the home.

    Whiskey offerings from Shots Box include:

    Facts About Whiskey (or Is It Whisky?) for World Whiskey Day

    It’s not a spelling mistake! Whiskey is usually spelled with an “e” in Ireland and the United States, and spelled without the “e” in Scotland and Canada. While there are many nuances to whiskey, the variations are mostly based on the type of grain used in the distilling process and the methods used in the place it was produced. For example, bourbon is a form of whiskey.

    Regardless, whiskey has been around in some form since monks in Scotland first created it around the year 1100. The first written reference to the drink dates to 1405, in the family journal of a Scottish clan. Scottish immigrants brought whisky (their spelling!) to the American colonies in the 1600s. And whiskey famously played a part in early American history as the product at the heart of the Whiskey Rebellion in 1791.

    About World Whiskey Day

    World Whiskey Day was founded in 2012 by Blair Bowman while studying at the University of Aberdeen. Officially recognized by the Scottish Parliament in 2014, it is now celebrated globally by hundreds of thousands of whiskey drinkers each year on the third Saturday in May.

    How to Celebrate World Whiskey Day

    There is a lot to learn about whiskey, from the glass you use to new flavors of cocktails, and World Whiskey Day is the perfect time to educate yourself. You can compare different types of whiskeys, uncover new tastes, and revisit some of your favorites. When you treat yourself and gather with friends to taste small-batch artisanal whiskey, you can share a moment and create memories.

    “At the end of the day, World Whiskey Day is all about getting together with friends and family and appreciating each other’s company and one of life’s great pleasures,” said J.C. Stock, CEO of Shots Box. “With Shots Box, you can sample artisanal and craft blends of whiskey that can be difficult to find, and enjoy them in a true at-home tasting experience.”

    About Shots Box

    Shots Box is a bi-monthly subscription service that offers arrays of shot-sized craft distilled liquors from local, craft, artisanal, and small-batch spirits from small businesses and top distillers. Curated by tastemakers and delivered nationally, Shots Box is best known for top-rated whiskey subscription services The Whiskey Club and The Whiskey Tasters Club offered in half-year and annual subscriptions. Featured in Forbes, Thrive Global, Condé Nast Traveler, Rolling Stone, and The Chive, it provides a new way to try spirits, discover favorites, learn how to properly taste liquors, and gain access to full bottles of spirits that are not accessible elsewhere.

    For new product launches and announcements, recipes, guides, blogs, and tips, follow Shots Box on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

    To learn more, visit www.shotsbox.com.

    Media Contact 

    Madeleine Moench
    madeleine@newswire.com

    Source: Shots Box

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  • Urthbox Gives Away 5,000 Free Snack Boxes in April 2017 for Its “UrthDay” Celebration in Observance of Earth Day

    Urthbox Gives Away 5,000 Free Snack Boxes in April 2017 for Its “UrthDay” Celebration in Observance of Earth Day

    Donates to environmental non-profits 350.org, Friends of The Earth, Nature Conservancy, and GreenPeace.org for every box claimed in April.

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Apr 11, 2017


    San Francisco, CA, April 11, 2017 (Newswire.com)
    –
    UrthBox, the national monthly subscription delivery service for healthier earth-conscious and sustainable snack foods and beverages, today announced that the company will celebrate Earth Day this year by giving away 5,000 free snack boxes to earth-conscious fans every day for the month of April.  Additionally, the company will also make donations for every free box claimed, to the environmental non-profits 350.org, Friends of The Earth, The Nature Conservancy and GreenPeace.org

    Starting at 4 AM Pacific Standard Time on Tuesday April 11th through to 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time on Sunday April 30th, health and earth conscious consumers nationwide will get a free UrthBox, valued at up to $49 USD, by visiting www.urthbox.com/urthday and being one of 5,000 people to claim their free box. Each box will introduce a variety of ethically sourced, GMO-free and organic foods, snacks and beverages from innovative environmental and health conscious consumer brands.  Consumers will pay a $2.99 shipping and handling fee for the free UrthDay box.

    “As world citizens, we are up against some life-changing ethical and environmental global challenges involving food sourcing and manufacturing,” says Ben Behrouzi, CEO of UrthBox. “It’s one of the reasons why we believe it’s so important to not only make GMO-free and ethically-sourced food products more readily available in today’s marketplace, but to also help accelerate consumer awareness in an effort to drive greater change in the food and beverage industry.”  

    UrthDay evolved from UrthBox’s mission—to promote the importance of health and sustainability with food to consumers.  The company offers its monthly subscription service in Classic, Gluten-Free, Vegan and Diet variations to consumers in the U.S. and Canada nationwide.  For brands, UrthBox serves as a national platform to access and educate conscious consumers on healthier and more sustainable food options available in the marketplace. 

    About UrthBox

    UrthBox, based out of San Francisco, is the best way to discover healthier and more conscious foods, snacks and beverages delivered right to your door every month.  To learn more, please contact press@urthbox.com.  To participate in UrthDay and get your free first UrthBox, visit http://www.urthbox.com/urthday

    Source: UrthBox

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  • New Ways to Spark Faith in Kids and Empower Your Family to Explore the Bible

    New Ways to Spark Faith in Kids and Empower Your Family to Explore the Bible

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Mar 15, 2017


    Sunnyvale, CA, March 15, 2017 (Newswire.com)
    –
    HelloBible launches a Christian subscription box committed to spark faith in kids. Monthly boxes empower families to explore the Bible in a fun, hands- on way. Each box features a Bible story, engaging crafts, and ideas for discussion and prayer. Subscriptions are already on sale via their website at hellobible.org. 

    HelloBible is charmingly presented to appeal to parents and children alike. Materials and instructions are packaged like a gift. Kids love to receive packages, and will be delighted to discover the monthly Bible story. A suggested timeline guides families through different activities every week. Reading and creating keepsake craft projects allows families to dig deeper into the Bible. The activities also prompt deeper questions and important conversations about the Christian faith. This puts each Bible story into the hearts of children.

    As Christian parents, we are the primary spiritual leaders in the lives of our children. Thus, we need to integrate faith into our busy family routines. We want to help fellow Christian families develop their children’s faith in a convenient and fun way. This fosters faith that grows for the rest of their lives.

    Connie Brantner, CEO

    HelloBible was founded by two moms who are passionate about inspiring faith in young children. They use their backgrounds in education to design the HelloBible boxes in a clear, organized manner. “As Christian parents, we are the primary spiritual leaders in the lives of our children. Thus, we need to integrate faith into our busy family routines,” said Connie Brantner, founder and CEO of HelloBible. “We want to help fellow Christian families develop their children’s faith in a convenient and fun way. This fosters faith that grows for the rest of their lives.”

    HelloBible offers month-to-month, six-month or twelve-month subscriptions. They are available online at hellobible.org and start at $16.90 per month. For every box purchased, HelloBible donates up to $2/month to the The Kilgoris Project. This project supports education for children in rural Kenya. In each box, HelloBible highlights special events in the lives of these children. This allows young Bible explorers to learn about their peers and teaches them the importance of giving.

    To learn more or to subscribe to HelloBible, visit the website at hellobible.org.

    About HelloBible:

    Founded in 2016 by two Christian moms, HelloBible sells monthly boxes to spark faith in kids and empowers families to explore the Bible in a fun way. With monthly deliveries of a Bible story, engaging crafts and related ideas to share and pray, HelloBible brings hands-on faith right to your door. To learn more, visit hellobible.org.

    Media Contact: 
    Connie Brantner
    Phone: 650.495.0197
    Email: connie@hellobible.org

    Source: HelloBible, LLC.

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