Close to one million Britons cancelled their streaming service subscriptions between January and September 2022, with a cost of living crisis continually forcing people to skimp back on luxury services.
According to new research from Kantar, the number of households across the United Kingdom with at least one premium streaming plan has fallen by some 937,000.
And the main reason for people deciding to reduce their watching time of services such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ is through the substantial rise of inflation and energy bills across the nation this year alone.
Read more: New Netflix movies and TV shows landing in November - The Crown, Dead to Me and more
The Daily Express reports that discussing the trend, Dominic Sunnebo - who is the global insight director at Kantar's world panel division - said: "There are a number of dynamics at play in the market, such as the cost of living crisis and subsequent ‘cord-cutting’, as well as a degree of ‘content fatigue."
By cancelling your streaming memberships, you'll lose access to exciting and exclusive releases like Stranger Things, the new Lord of the Rings series and countless other pieces of content. Although if you still have a hankering for new movies and boxsets to binge, there are a number of other free apps you can use for entertainment.
And just because they're free doesn't mean they lack the gripping quality that paid-for services have.
Freevee -
Amazon's Freevee app was launched earlier this year, replacing the old IMDB TV service. One of the big reasons as to why the app rebranded was to highlight that it's free, in-turn, drawing in more viewers to the wealth of movies, boxsets and live TV available.
Like Prime Video, Freevee is home to a number of exclusive shows and movies that you can't find anywhere else - such as the big name Bosch Legacy series, a follow up to Bosch based on Michael Connelly's books.
Other original content available on Freevee includes Judy Justice - which stars reality TV's Judge Judy, teen spy drama Alex Rider (which boasts an impressive 85 percent Rotten Tomatoes score) and a documentary on pop superstar Post Malone.
Besides original shows, there's a huge selection of movies - new and old - available on Freevee like classic horror The Blair Witch Project, the critically acclaimed Slow West (starring Michael Fassbender), and the family-friendly Angry Birds Movie 2. Other things to look out for on Freevee are hit comedies Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock.
You can tune into Freevee via your web browser, on Fire TV as well as Google TV and Android TV devices, and through the official Android and iOS app.
Plex -
Plex is one of the most popular free streaming apps around, with over 25million people signed up to use the free movie and boxset service. Like with Freevee, Plex can be accessed on a wide variety of platforms such as Android, iOS, Fire TV, Android TV, PlayStation, Xbox and much more.
You can also easily access Plex via your web browser, and while at first glance you may not think there's much that appeals to you if you hunt around you can find some real gems. If you love reality TV and cooking shows then you can watch the late, great Anthony Bourdain's first show A Cook's Tour on Plex.
While if you're after something a bit more fiery Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen is also available.
There are also a number of great options such as Ricky Gervais's Extras, acclaimed crime drama Happy Valley (which also is available to stream on Netflix) and fellow BBC series Silent Witness. For anyone getting in the mood for Halloween Plex also has horror films in its library including cult classic From Dusk Till Dawn, which stars George Clooney and Quentin Tarrantino.
Plex also has a number of themed channels which offer curated content you can tune into.
BBC iPlayer, All4 and the ITV Hub -
While you are required to have a TV license to watch live content on BBC iPlayer, All4 and the ITV Hub, there is a huge selection of exclusive dramas and boxsets to make the most of as well as catch-up services for live broadcasts you may have missed.
BBC's iPlayer plays host to all time classics such as Doctor Who, Gavin and Stacey, and People Just Do Nothing - with an additional option to catch up on live classics like Eastenders, Ru Paul's Drag Race and QI.
The ITV Hub offers the same features as BBC's iPlayer, allowing punters to keep up with Coronation Street and Emmerdale out of hours, while also tucking into glorious boxsets alike Auf Wiedersehen Pet and Doc Martin.
Finally, All4 runs a similar system, allowing viewers to watch TV live while also catching up later on shows they may have missed. Here you can find Great British hits like Taskmaster, Made in Chelsea, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Gogglebox.
Other free apps -
If you can't find anything to watch on these apps there are plenty of other alternatives you can turn to. Rakuten TV and Pluto TV can easily be tuned into by heading to their websites or by downloading the official apps.
On-demand content and a range of live channels which offer curated content are available on both services. With Rakuten TV you'll be able to find dedicated channels for movies, children's content like Teletubbies, documentaries and more.
This is in addition to on-demand content like the Oscar-winning The Big Short and Hollywood rom-com Love And Other Drugs (starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway). Pluto TV also has an extensive and varied selection of on-demand content that ranges from boxsets like Skins and Geordie Shore, to cult classic films like J-horror Ringu, hit 90s comedy Empire Records, and much more.
Dedicated channels also air popular shows non-stop like Baywatch, CSI Miami, Mythbusters, Kim's Convenience, Location, Location, Location and much more.
With apps like Pluto TV, Plex and Rakuten TV you may have to hunt around for a bit to find something that appeals to you but there's bound to be something there which catches your eye. And, since you don't have to pay a penny to access these services, you've got nothing to lose by checking them out.
Read next:
- Netflix's The Crown gets 'fictional' warning added to trailer after Judi Dench complaints
- Strictly spoiler leaks result that left studio audience 'furious'
- Vicky Pattison has Geordie Shore reunion after 'snubbing' return
Angels of the North gets BBC One boost as new series launches
Netflix Meghan & Harry release date delayed as streaming Goliath sees backlash
