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for the past decade I've really had only
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two goals here to help you save money
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and to simplify the process of cutting
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the cord and switching to streaming
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lately it's not as easy as it used to be
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in one of my earlier cord cutting guides
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I recommended the combination of YouTube
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TV as a cable replacement service and
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then using a Roku streaming media player
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to watch on your TV set a lot of people
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followed this recommendation and they
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were happy with it at least to start
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then came YouTube TV's price increase
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not the most recent one I'm talking
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about the one in 2023 and I didn't
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realize it when I made this review
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update but that was a turning point yes
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the service continued to grow 8 million
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subscribers as of last year but even as
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that was happening I started to hear
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from more people who said they didn't
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replace their cable service with a cable
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2.0 service like YouTube TV instead they
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dropped live TV all together I
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acknowledge this change in my most
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recent cord cutting guide which now has
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a million views on YouTube it's here in
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step two decide if you need a live TV
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streaming bundle and with this update I
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wanted people to really think twice
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about whether they need a live TV
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streaming service and usually it's the
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people who answer yes to all of these
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questions but now with so many new and
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more affordable options I realize if it
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is not just as simple as recommending
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people start with a free trial of
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YouTube TV after Consulting with
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industry experts over the last few weeks
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I'm ready to share what I've come up
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with let's get into it these are the
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industry terms used to describe
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streaming services and here's how I've
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simplified them in the past live TV on
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demand and free but with everything
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that's changed this feels too simple
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let's start with the live TV streaming
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services and when I use that term I'm
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referring to the plans that offer a
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collection of cable TV channels as well
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as broadcast TV networks in some cases
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lately I've been talking about more
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flexible options and because of those
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options and more on the way I am now
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splitting the live TV category into two
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first we have the full cable 2.0 bundles
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this is for the household that wants a
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well-rounded lineup of sports news and
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entertainment networks plus local
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stations from a single app at the time
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I'm recording this video These bundles
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from YouTube TV and others start at
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around $85 a month bump that up to more
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than $100 a month for most plans that
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have Regional Sports networks but what
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if you're like a lot of people who reach
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out to me and you're not spending as
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much time watching broadcast TV or cable
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networks anymore this is where the split
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comes into play and also more savings we
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covered the full cable 2. bundles so
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what's next I'm going with partial
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bundles for now you might also call them
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flexible or skinny bundles these plans
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include only some of the four main
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components of a full cable 2.0 bundle
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I've got Direct TV streams website
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pulled up now this is a good example the
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service offers full cable 2.0 bundles it
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now calls them signature packages and
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that gets you everything but check out
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these new genre packs these are the par
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bundles I've been talking about there's
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one for sports one for entertainment one
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for news and one for Spanish programming
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and the starting price is less than half
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of a full bundle right away you'll
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notice the my sports plan is the most
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expensive option maybe worth the savings
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that really depends on your household
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but I want you to put partial bundles
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from ESPN and Fox on your radar
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launching fall 2025 I'll keep you
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updated in my monthly news video back to
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Direct TV stream and the my
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entertainment plan that I have shown
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here it does offer a lot more savings I
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think this plan will work for some
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households that have an antenna for
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locals and really don't watch a lot of
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sports find a link below it'll help you
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compare the channel lineups by
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distinguishing between the full cable
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2.0 bundle and the partial bundles My
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Hope Is that more people will actually
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take a closer look at the cheaper
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I should also mention Pho and friendly
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TV they've been offering entertainment
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plans for a long time friendly TV is
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less than $10 a month I know a lot of
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you only watch about five or 10 channels
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same for me so if you can find them
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outside of a full bundle even for just
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part of the year it could add up to real
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savings some people will hear cable 2.0
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bundle and know immediately they don't
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want anything to do with that they want
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something more customizable and cheaper
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if you think of streaming TV like a fast
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food restaurant households with cable
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2.0 bundles are ordering a combo meal
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but some people like to order items
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individually from the value menu these
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are the people who use one or more
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so-called on demand streaming apps that
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short for subscription video on demand
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the industry term is svod but wait a
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second Netflix Prime video max peacock
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and Paramount plus they've all added
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added a lot of live sports to their
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plants we are not just talking about
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libraries of shows and movies anymore
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that is why I'm trying to move away from
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the term ond demand Services instead
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I'll say Standalone streaming apps some
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are free and some are paid these apps
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are add-ons to a cable 2.0 bundle for a
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lot of people but for others they're
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able to find everything they want to
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stream including Sports by subscribing
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to several paid streaming apps or maybe
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just binge watching and canceling one
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app at a time Standalone paid apps are
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much less expensive than full cable 2.0
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bundles but they are rising in price
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especially as more live sports gets
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added to the plans and if you've got an
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adree plan you already know those price
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increases are happening more often and
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they are more severe to avoid any
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confusion I guess I should mention that
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some standal loone streaming apps are
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now being bundled together Disney Plus
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Hulu and Max for example but this is a
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very different type of bundle it brings
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together three separate streaming apps
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and offers a discount for getting them
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all while the cable 2.0 bundles those
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primarily offer content from cable and
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broadcast TV networks that's how I see
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the difference now if you are brand new
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to cutting the cord I still don't think
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it's a bad idea to start with a full
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like YouTube TV when you're just
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starting out it's not a mistake that is
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the simple solution and it's best if you
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watch a lot of sports news and locals
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you will save a little bit of money
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compared to Cable just not as much as
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you may have been hoping for especially
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after you factor in the cost of your
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internet service but if you are a price
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sensitive customer many of us are I have
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an updated recommendation something I
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would try first here's the action plan
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write down on your list of must-have
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content and take 15 minutes to research
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partial bundles and Standalone apps
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maybe you'll rule them in maybe you'll
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rule them out either way you'll know
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then you can pick the cord cutting path
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that works best for you the great thing
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about streaming is that unlike with
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cable and satellite you don't have to
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sign a contract so even if you do start
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with YouTube TV you don't have to stay
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with YouTube TV my streaming TV
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subscriptions today look nothing like a
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couple years ago and that is thanks to
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some of the new opportunities to
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downgrade and save find deal alerts on
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my website Michael saav deals.com thanks
