I would definitely cancel Peacock and Hulu this month — here's why

Tom's Guide

10 hours ago

With summer in full swing, you're probably spending more time outdoors—and less time glued to your TV. So why keep paying for streaming subscriptions you barely touch? Summer is the perfect time to cut down on monthly costs.
In 2025, streaming costs are higher than ever. Americans pay an average of $61 a month for streaming services, according to a Deloitte report — or a hefty $732 a year.
But you can save a chunk of that by pausing a service or two. It's easy to hop back in when a must-watch show or movie finally drops.
In July 2025, I recommend canceling Hulu and Peacock. Both services are rated highly on our list of best streaming services for their solid catalogs, but their upcoming lineups are pretty quiet, with no big premieres or buzzworthy originals dropping soon. Unless there's something specific you're catching up on, you can safely drop them for now and resubscribe when they have something you really want to watch.
Here's why I think you should consider canceling Peacock and Hulu this month.
Hulu boasts a fantastic library, particularly when it comes to TV shows. Not only does it have acclaimed originals like "The Handmaid's Tale," it houses FX series like "The Bear" and "Shogun" and airs new episodes of ABC shows the next day.
"The Bear" season 4 recently dropped all episodes in late June, and if you haven't binged them, perhaps you may want to consider keeping Hulu. But likely, most fans have run through the entire season.
July doesn't have much new to offer. The biggest original is "Washington Black," a limited series drama following a young boy fleeing a sugar plantation in the early 1800s. It's got a star-studded cast that includes Sterling K. Brown, Tom Ellis, Charles Dance and Billy Boyd.
"Washington Black" looks fantastic and I'll certainly watch it ... after I resubscribe to Hulu down the road. The miniseries doesn't premiere until July 23 and I can wait a couple of weeks to binge it.
Meanwhile, the only other noteworthy new titles on Hulu this month are "Bachelor in Paradise" season 10 (premiering July 7) and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" season 17 (premiering July 9). The latter is a show that's much better binged, so waiting a month or two is more than doable.
As for "Bachelor in Paradise," you can watch ABC for free the old-fashioned way — with a TV antenna. Mine is hooked up to a Sling AirTV Anywhere device so I can record shows to watch later. But if you don't have this setup, some smart TVs have a built-in antenna or you can get an antenna to hook up to your smart TV.
As for Peacock its July schedule is a desert when it comes to originals. The only one is "Twisted Metal" season 2. Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz return in the post-apocalyptic action comedy, which sees their characters entering the deadly Twisted Metal tournament, a sinister demolition derby hosted by a mysterious man known as Calypso.
Looks like a riot, but "Twisted Metal" season 2 doesn't even premiere until the very last day of the month, July 31.
You're not missing out on much else ... unless you're a fan of "Love Island." Season 7 of the dating competition series will continue airing episodes throughout July. So if you can't get enough of the drama and romance in the villa (and Casa Amor), you should keep Peacock.
How much you can save by canceling Peacock and Hulu depends on which tiers you currently have.
The ad-supported Peacock Premium is $8 per month, while ad-free Premium Plus (with the live NBC feed) is $14. Ad-supported Hulu is $10, and ad-free Hulu is a whopping $19.
So, if you have the basic standalone versions of both, you'll save $18. If you have the highest, ad-free tiers, you'll save $33. That may not sound like a lot, but churning various streaming services throughout the year can save you well over a few hundred dollars. Put that toward your summer vacation or stockpile it for holiday shopping at the end of the year.