December Streaming Goes Beyond Christmas Movies, So Don't ...

We know it's December and that means lots of holiday content to watch, but streaming has more to offer than just endless Christmas cheer. Some of you probably grabbed a streaming service deal during Black Friday week, and need to keep your new subscriptions for Max, Hulu, Peacock and other platforms. Good news: Rebel Moon, Percy Jackson, Marvel's What If..., Indiana Jones 5 and more releases are hitting our screens this month. We still don't know when Max is streaming Barbie, so you should decide if the streamer is worth your time. 

Each month, you may decide to drop a streaming service because of cost and the content that's currently available. I'd like to offer one strategy during a time of tight budgets: Churn like ice cream. Because you may have a new streaming deal for a platform you just signed up for, rather than rotate your services, you can use the list below as a guide for new releases this month.

Otherwise, churn away. Subscribe, cancel, roll with a different service, then resubscribe, keeping your favorites in a rotation. Rotating streaming services can be a money-saver when Netflix, Disney Plus, Max and others aren't streaming anything you want to watch at a given time. Just remember to shut off autorenewal for your monthly subscriptions. This method may not fly if you're sharing your streaming accounts, but if you can work out an arrangement with your crew, go for it. 

Here are my suggestions for which streamers to keep or cancel in December, based on new series and movies (I didn't consider live TV streaming services) hitting each service. Your tastes may be different, but if nothing else, I urge you to at least consider the concept of rotating for savings. It's easier than you might think. Remember, a VPN can also be a useful tool when you're streaming. 

Read more: 'Indiana Jones 5' Streaming on Disney Plus: Release Date and Time

The Percy Jackson series debuts on Disney Plus.

Disney PlusDecember 2023 Streaming Service Rotation Don't get rid of these services in December

Netflix: The Crown will take a final bow this month, and you'll want to check out Rebel Moon, Maestro, some K-dramas and more. Here are the new releases this month:

May December (Dec. 1)Sweet Home, season 2 (Dec. 1)My Life With the Walter Boys (Dec. 7)Leave the World Behind (Dec. 8)The Great British Baking Show: Holidays (Dec. 8)Single's Inferno (Dec. 12)Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only (Dec. 12)Under Pressure: The U.S. Women's World Cup Team (Dec. 12)The Crown, final season, part 2 (Dec. 14)Maestro, starring Bradley Cooper (Dec. 20)Rebel Moon (part 1): A Child of Fire (Dec. 22)Gyeongseong Creature, part 1 (Dec. 22) Ricky Gervais: Armageddon (Dec. 25)Money Heist: Berlin (Dec. 29)

Disney Plus: Toward the end of December, things kick off on Disney Plus. What If... and Percy Jackson are at the top of the watchlist, but here are the buzziest titles arriving. Doctor Who's three-episode special will also conclude this month, reuniting the 14th Doctor Who, David Tennant, and Donna Temple-Noble in a face-off against Neil Patrick Harris' Toymaker.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Dec. 1)The Shepherd (Dec. 1)Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (Dec. 8) Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder (Dec. 2)Doctor Who: The Giggle (Dec. 9) Percy Jackson and the Olympians, season 1 (Dec. 20) BTS Monuments: Beyond The Star docuseries (Dec. 20) What If..., season 2 (Dec. 22)

Starz: Power fans don't want to miss Raising Kanan, season 3, on Dec. 1. The film Joy Ride lands on the same day, and Shining Vale wraps season 2 this month.

Peacock: Keep this one if you love the Hallmark channel, want to watch live sports or stream The Exorcist: Believer (Dec. 1) and Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie (Dec. 8). Don't cancel if you just grabbed a Peacock Black Friday deal either, or you'll lose the special rate. 

Prime Video: You likely have this service if you're a Prime member, so you can stream Candy Cane Lane with Eddie Murphy (Dec. 1), Merry Little Batman (Dec. 8), Your Christmas or Mine 2 (Dec. 8) and Reacher Season 2 (Dec. 15). 

Hulu: Hulu is a keep or cancel toss-up depending on your tastes and whether you're only paying $1 a month right now. There's a slate of holiday fare, and these titles, too: 

Mob Land (Dec. 4)Black Cake finale (Dec. 6) The Retirement Plan with Nic Cage (Dec.  15)Maggie Moore(s), starring Jon Hamm (Dec. 22)Letterkenny, season 12 (Dec. 26)

Power Book III: Raising Kanan is worth the Starz subscription this month.

StarzCancel if you're paying full price 

Paramount Plus: Football fans may want to keep this service, but if not, cancel unless you're interested in NCIS: Sydney, Thriller 40 (Dec. 2 on Paramount Plus with Showtime only), Baby Shark's Big Movie (Dec. 8) or Frosty Returns (Dec. 23).

Max: Max offers some holiday movies, new documentaries and season finales for shows like The Gilded Age and Rap Sh!t. Aside from that and sports, that's it. Cancel, unless you grabbed the 70% off deal during Black Friday.

Apple TV Plus: This service doesn't have too much right now. Watch A Charlie Brown Christmas for free from Dec. 16-17. Otherwise, you can watch Frog and Toad Christmas Special, The Snoopy Show Christmas Special (Dec. 1), The Family Plan (Dec. 15), Slow Horses or For All Mankind. Apple TV Plus costs $10 per month now, but Roku users can get three months free if they're signed up by Dec. 3.

Save money on streaming by waiting it out

Waiting until most or all of the episodes of a series land on a platform is a wise strategy if you don't get FOMO. That way, rather than pay for a service for several months to cover the six- to 10-week run of a show, you can catch up on everything by subscribing for one month. Then repeat the cycle. 

For example, NCIS: Sydney began in November and will end season 1 in mid-January with episode 8. Why pay for three months of Paramount Plus when you can wait to watch it in full anytime in January? If you prefer to binge Percy Jackson (eight episodes), then wait until January to watch the show when all episodes are streaming. The same strategy works for Apple TV Plus' For All Mankind, which will wrap season 4 in January. Wait to binge it. 

NCIS: Sydney can be tabled for a binge session.

Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+

Think about how much you're paying per month for each streaming service you have, and do the math. Netflix is $7 to $23 (plus extra member fees), and Paramount Plus starts at $6. Apple TV Plus is $10. Disney Plus is anywhere from $2 to $25 depending on bundles, Max costs $10 to $20, Hulu starts at $8 and Starz runs $10. Peacock has a base rate of $6 a month. Should you decide to rotate, set yourself a calendar reminder to alert you when it's time to re-subscribe or cancel. See you in January for another streaming rotation breakdown.