DirecTV is keeping NFL Sunday Ticket… at least for bars, restaurants and other “commercial venues.” The new multiyear deal, which begins with the 2023 football season, was announced Thursday by the satellite company and EverPass Media, the NFL’s new media platform for handling the distribution of “live sports and entertainment content” to businesses.
The new deal is for commercial use only and not for consumers who subscribe to DirecTV’s satellite TV service or its internet-based Stream TV offering. DirecTV says its commercial unit consists of over 300,000 locations and also includes casinos, hotel lounges and shops.
NFL Sunday Ticket was a long-time DirecTV-only product for both businesses and consumers, but the consumer version has now become exclusive to Google’s YouTube TV. The streaming TV service has already begun taking preorders for the football package, with discounted pricing running until June 6 that charges YouTube TV subscribers $249 for the full NFL season. The price jumps to $349 after that date. Non-YouTube TV users can get Sunday Ticket as well through YouTube Primetime Channels, but they will need to pay a higher rate.
Financial terms of the new deal were not disclosed. While it will include all out-of-market NFL games on Sundays, it was not immediately clear if this version of Sunday Ticket would include the NFL’s popular RedZone channel.
When DirecTV offered the full Sunday Ticket package, it produced its own version of RedZone separate from the option that was more broadly available to other TV providers.
For DirecTV, the move to keep Sunday Ticket follows its other deals with streaming services to continue to air sports for businesses, even as the games themselves increasingly become streaming-only for users. The satellite giant has previously struck deals with Amazon (for Thursday Night Football) and Apple (Friday Night Baseball and MLS Season Pass) to air their respective streaming-exclusive games on its traditional satellite network for its commercial customers.
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Apple’s upcoming iOS 17 software update for iPhones could come with a feature that lets you view more items on your locked phone screen, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. The smart display would reportedly show things such as calendar appointments, weather and notifications.
The display would appear horizontally and resemble a smart home display like those sold by Amazon and Google while your phone is locked and lying unused on your desk or nightstand, Bloomberg said, citing unidentified sources. It’ll have a “dark background with bright text,” the report says, so that you can easily read the information.
A similar horizontal smart display would reportedly come to iPads at a later date.
The PlayStation Vita is long gone, but Sony is making a return to gaming handhelds — in a sense. At Sony’s latest PlayStation gaming showcase on Wednesday, the company teased a surprise new device that should be coming later this year. Called “Project Q,” it looks very much like a giant display fused with a DualSense controller.
The handheld, which should play all PlayStation games over Wi-Fi, has an 8-inch HD LCD screen and a controller that Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan promised will have all the features of the DualSense that’s standard on the PlayStation 5.
Watch this: Sony PlayStation Unveils Project Q Gaming Handheld
01:10
The price of this screen-equipped Wi-Fi streaming handheld is unknown, and it’s unclear how Sony will position this device. Is it, as a colleague noted, something like a Wii U tablet for the PS5? Is it a home-based local Wi-Fi companion for the console? Can it be used on the go? And can it essentially also double as an everyday DualSense controller with second-screen benefits, like Nintendo’s Wii U once did?
According to a source that leaked the news of this handheld originally, the release date could be late November this year.
Streaming handhelds are a definite trend now, with Android devices like Logitech’s G Cloud and the Razer Edge. It’s unclear how or if Sony’s new handheld will work offline at all, but it’s clearly being pitched as a second screen and a mobile play option for the PS5. Meanwhile, the Backbone One game controller, which has a PlayStation partnership and works with phones to play PS5 games wirelessly via streaming, just announced an Android-compatible model.
A glimpse of the handheld next to the PS5 for comparison.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Sony’s had a lot of pricey PlayStation 5 accessories debut this year. The PlayStation VR 2, a $550 VR headset that’s tethered to the PS5 with a cable, almost seems like an opposite proposition to what Project Q offers. Sony also has the expensive DualSense Edge, a $200 customizable pro controller.
Sony’s second-screen PS5 game handheld does look exciting, though the price isn’t known. A screen that large could make games look great and a full-featured controller would make everything feel as responsive, possibly, as playing on the PS5 itself. Maybe, just maybe, Sony might consider a new Vita someday, too?
You can jumpstart a fresh wellness regimen without spending big bucks. How? Turn on your TV to stream a free online fitness class that allows to work out from the comfort of your own home.
Do you have a preference? You can exercise with equipment, skip weight-lifting routines, bend into some yoga or train for a mini marathon — all without driving anywhere. Here are a few of the best places to start ramping up your wellness goals — without touching your bank account.
YouTube is the most obvious stop for fitness content. You’ll find a variety of styles, trainers and niche fare; whether you’re looking for weightlifting instruction, dance, yoga, full body workouts or cycling, there’s something for everyone on YouTube. To help you navigate the scene, we suggest a few channels to check out here.
Visit channels like The Yoga Room or Yoga with Adriene for beginner yoga techniques, Grow with Jo for walking routines, Fitness Blender for multiple intensity levels, and Chloe Ting, Simeon Panda and others for a variety of workouts. Stream YouTube on your smart TV or cast it to your TV screen from your phone.
Launched in 2019, FitOn offers hundreds of free on-demand and live streaming workouts that include strength training, HIIT, cardio, yoga, walking, dance, prenatal and circuits. Home to an array of high- and low-impact sequences, the app has routines that are tailored for individuals or entire families. You have the option to choose your intensity level, session length or target body area.
Follow along with professional trainers or celebrity instructors like Gabrielle Union,Jonathan Van Ness or Jeanette Jenkins to experience HIIT workouts, yoga and body sculpting drills. And each day, FitOn offers live group classes that you can attend without anyone seeing you. New classes are added to the app each month. You can cast workouts to your TV or stream them on Fire TV, Google TV, Roku and Apple TV.
DoYogaWithMe has a TV app with 10 free yoga classes, suitable for any level. You can stream the app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.
If you want more, you can visit the website and get a basic membership that grants access to more than 500 free classes for yoga, meditation and breathwork. You can choose from different yoga styles such as vinyasa, hatha, chair yoga or prenatal yoga.
Prime Video members have access to Amazon’s free library of exercise videos covering Pilates, yoga, strength training, weight-lifting and other practices. The platform’s Exercise & Fitness section houses fitness content for all ages. Among the highlights: You can stream workouts from Maggie Binkley or do a 10-day yoga challenge with Chelsey Jones.
Fawesome is known for being a streaming service that offers movies and TV shows, but the app also has dedicated fitness content on its Healthy Living channel. You can stream videos for barre, cardio, yogalates, kettlebell, full-body sequences and more. And most of the workouts are short and sweet. Stream the Fawesome app on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV or your smart TV.
Looking for more? Netflix makes it easy to exercise with its new Nike Training Club lineup, or practice mindfulness with its Headspace content. Samsung’s new smart TVs have a wellness hub, and Tubi users can tap into more than 100 free fitness videos (including Jane Fonda classics). You can also hit the ground running with these paid subscription services for your workouts.
Nothing distinguishes it apart from it competitors
The Motorola Edge Plus is the latest premium smartphone aimed at the US, and an all-around upgrade on last year’s Edge Plus. With its big battery and competitive price, Android fans have another top-tier contender to consider when phone shopping.
Motorola has refined its premium phones over the years, adding some features and taking others away in an effort to find the right combination that will appeal to top-tier phone buyers. The newest Edge Plus is the best combination so far. But it’s also not exactly the same phone sold around the world, since Motorola releases slightly different versions in different regions. For instance, the Edge Plus available in the US is virtually identical to the Edge 40 Pro in Europe and elsewhere, but has a larger battery and more modest recharging speed.
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In previous years, it’s been tough to recommend the Edge Plus series over similarly priced (or even cheaper) Samsung rivals. But with its $800 price tag, which is $200 cheaper than its predecessor, the new Edge Plus is a decent alternative to the $800 Samsung Galaxy S23, and lands right in-between the $600 Google Pixel 7 and $900 Pixel 7 Pro.
That doesn’t mean that the Edge Plus is the absolute best value. It’s pricier than the $700 OnePlus 11, though its base model packs more onboard storage. And like other higher-end Android handsets, the Edge Plus faces stiff competition from the $500 Pixel 7A, which has most of its pricier Pixel sibling’s features.
The Motorola Edge Plus looks and feels premium with a sharp display featuring waterfall-style curved edges. That screen along with nearly top-of-the-line specs, like a big battery and truly fast charging speeds, make the Edge Plus a suitable option for anyone who doesn’t need the Galaxy S23’s zoom photo capabilities or the Pixel 7’s AI-powered photo editing. But aside from its tremendous battery life, there isn’t much else that distinguishes the Edge Plus from other premium phones.
The Edge Plus’ display curves over the side of the phone.
David Lumb/CNET
Good battery life, great recharge speeds
The new Motorola Edge Plus has a 5,100-mAh battery, which is 300 mAh more than its predecessor. In practice, the phone easily survived media-heavy everyday activities. When I put the Edge Plus through CNET’s intensive-use media test — which includes streaming movies, playing games, scrolling social media, and joining video calls for a total of 45 minutes — the battery dropped 8%.
That’s comparable to the battery drain on the Galaxy S23 and Pixel 7A in the same test, and a little worse than the Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra. Based on my early testing, the Edge Plus simply lasts longer than many other phones, especially when watching videos and playing games. The battery made it through a full day of use and then some, though it likely won’t be able to last two full days without a recharge.
The Edge Plus’s fast charging outperforms some of its peers. It may not have the ridiculously fast 125-watt charging of the European Edge 40 Pro, but the 68-watt charger included in the box is more than enough. When my test unit was down to 3% battery, a 30-minute recharge juiced it back up to 80%. Compare that to the 25-watt max charging on the standard Galaxy S23 or 45-watt charging on the S23 Plus and Ultra, and the Edge Plus has, well, the edge.
The Edge Plus’ charging doesn’t beat some phones with high-wattage chargers, like the OnePlus 11 with a 100-watt charger that juiced up a phone from zero to fully charged in 26 minutes. In addition to 68-watt wired charging, the Edge Plus has 15-watt wireless charging and can charge other devices at 5 watts.
The Edge Plus has a matte-finish metal back.
David Lumb/CNET
The best-looking Motorola phone yet (come at me, Razr fans)
Motorola’s premium phones have been on a journey since the brand released the Edge Plus debuted in 2020. The original had an attractive device, and its display edges curved down to abruptly meet the phone’s rear metal plate with such a severe edge that I still remember it biting into my hand as I gripped its sides. The next Edge Plus in 2022 did away with the waterfall-style edges in favor of a standard flat screen, which was less painful but also less stylish.
The latest Edge Plus is a return to form with carefully curved display edges that smoothly meet the polished metal frame. The back is a matte metal with a slight texture, like fine-grain sandpaper, that gives it a refined look and contrasts against the glossy Motorola logo. The smoky glass-covered square camera block is a serious upgrade over the somewhat cheap-looking camera oval on last year’s model. Overall, it’s a phone that would look professional being held up to your ear, if we ever raised our phones like that anymore.
The Edge Plus’s 6.7-inch, 2,400×1,080-pixel OLED display has sharp and clear visuals and supports HDR10 Plus. It has a 165Hz refresh rate, which is technically faster than the last Edge Plus’s 144Hz refresh rate screen. While I could barely tell the difference between the phone’s maximum 165Hz refresh rate and the 120Hz step down setting, the higher refresh rate did look slightly smoother when scrolling through the operating system animations or browsing the web. It also has an under-display fingerprint sensor for security, as well as facial recognition to unlock your phone with your mug.
The display has a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera.
David Lumb/CNET
Specs keep up with the competition
The Edge Plus packs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, the top-tier premium silicon from Qualcomm, 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage, though it lacks the option for expandable storage via microSD card. This is a bit of a step down from last year’s model, which came in both 8GB and 12GB of RAM configurations, but I didn’t feel the new Edge Plus was let down without the additional memory.
Overall the Edge Plus performs well. I didn’t experience any slowdown or delays transitioning between apps or doing light tasks. The phone kept up with more process-intensive tasks like gaming and fiddling with video, like switching between horizontal and vertical video orientations.
For raw stats, the Edge Plus kept up with its rivals scoring similar benchmark test results to its premium handsets peers. Take a look at Geekbench 5 results below.
The Edge Plus runs Android 13 with a mostly stock version of the operating system and will get three years of Android updates and four years of twice-monthly security updates, which is encouraging for folks who want to keep their phones for longer. Though with Android 14 expected to launch in October, Motorola’s phone won’t be on a par with other leading Android phones for that long. Samsung still leads the pack with a guaranteed five years of major Android updates and security updates.
The Edge Plus also retains Motorola’s small suite of beloved gesture control shortcuts like the chop-chop to turn on the flashlight and the double-twist to open the camera app.
The Edge Plus has triple rear cameras.
David Lumb/CNET
Cameras are good, but not the best
The Edge Plus has a triple rear camera consisting of a 50-megapixel, f1.8 main shooter, a 50-megapixel ultrawide and a 12-megapixel, 2x optical zoom camera that extends to 16x digital zoom. Given last year’s Edge Plus lacked a telephoto lens, this alone makes the new model superior to its predecessor.
Edge Plus main camera
David Lumb/CNET
Photos taken with Motorola phones have never reached parity with those shot and processed on premium Apple and Samsung phones, and while that’s still the case, Motorola is catching up. In side-by-side comparisons of the same photos taken on an iPhone 12 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, the Edge Plus’s photos have slightly more saturated colors but lack detail in shadows.
Edge Plus main camera (portrait)
David Lumb/CNET
This leads colors to streak into uniform hues rather than dappled with subtle differences from angled light, moisture or some other factor. It’s not too noticeable unless you look closely.
Edge Plus main camera
David Lumb/CNET
Edge Plus main camera
David Lumb/CNET
Edge Plus telephoto camera (2x zoom)
David Lumb/CNET
Edge Plus telephoto camera (16x digital zoom)
David Lumb/CNET
The Edge Plus’ 2x telephoto works well and compares favorably with an iPhone, though the premium Galaxy phones still take far clearer photos out to a distance. The ultrawide camera has a narrower field of view, capturing less area than either Galaxy or iPhone.
Edge Plus main camera (portrait)
David Lumb/CNET
The Edge Plus’s cameras take capable portrait photos, and while the saturation is a bit much for normal photos, it actually pops nicely against the added depth. At night, photos capture a good amount of light, preserving detail of subjects if losing out on some shadow and texture.
Photos from the 60-megapixel, f/2.2 front-facing shooter have an impressive amount of detail and color, though come out a bit more vibrant than they should. The phone can record 4K video in 60fps with the main and ultrawide cameras.
The Edge Plus’ camera app.
David Lumb/CNET
Should you buy a Motorola Edge Plus?
Motorola made the right tweaks with the Edge Plus, with a snazzier design and slight upgrades everywhere else to make it better than its predecessor. While its cameras and software still don’t produce photos that truly top those coming out of Samsung or Apple phones, they get close, producing good shots in dark and light settings.
But it’s the Edge Plus’s $800 price that makes it a true competitor to the Galaxy S23 and other premium phones. So long as you don’t need extensive zoom photo capabilities or Google’s line of photo software tricks. The new Edge Plus’s large battery and fast charging should make it a consideration among top-end Android devices.
How we test phones
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using both standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We take into account additional features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds, foldable displays among others that can be useful. And we balance all of this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value.
This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.
The $250 Moto G 5G marks a big reimagining of the phone since last year’s more-expensive $400 model. This year’s Moto G 5G scales back on storage and cameras to help hit its lower price but steps up the refresh rate on its 6.5-inch display to a smooth 120Hz. All that, while keeping the 5,000mAh battery and its roughly two-day battery life, should make the phone a decent value for its price.
The Moto G 5G has 4GB of memory, runs on a Snapdragon 480 Plus 5G chip and comes with 128GB of storage. This is a decent amount of storage space for this price and can be expanded up to 1TB with a microSD card. The phone’s stereo speakers and headphone jack are also quite nice for when I watch videos or listen to music. It ships with Android 13, and like other Moto G phones, will get only one major software update to Android 14 along with three years of security updates
I spent a few days with the Moto G 5G so far, and, while it looks and feels like it’s fallen down a few rungs of the price tier, the phone might meet enough essential needs to satisfy most people. However, by no means does it punch above its weight. The Moto G 5G has 4GB of memory, runs on a Snapdragon 480 Plus 5G chip and comes with 128GB of storage. This is a decent amount of storage space for the price and can be expanded up to 1TB with a microSD card. The phone’s stereo speakers and headphone jack are also quite nice for when I watch videos or listen to music. It ships with Android 13, and like other Moto G phones, will get only one major software update to Android 14 along with three years of security updates.
The Moto G 5G has a main 48-megapixel camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
However, when testing other features, I can’t help but compare this phone to the slightly more expensive $300 Moto G Power 5G — which includes quite a bit more for that extra $50. For instance, the Moto G 5G’s 6.5-inch display runs at a 720p resolution. Even though that screen animates smoothly with its 120Hz refresh rate, I find that the lower-resolution makes photos and videos look rather plain. The Power 5G runs at a 1,080p resolution at the same refresh rate, and in my review of that phone the display was a particular highlight.
Performance also seems to take a noticeable hit during my early tests, which could be attributable to the phone having 4GB of memory compared with the 6GB available on the Power 5G. Often when I test phones, during casual use I play games while taking calls or texting. I find that when a call comes through while I’m playing a game, in this instance Marvel Snap, that the game needs to reload itself after I answer the call. Lighter multitasking, however, has been fine, for instance reading news articles while I’m listening to music has not led to any noticeable issues.
The Moto G 5G also moves down from three cameras on last year’s model to two, with this year’s phone including a 48-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. This is an area that cheaper phones often struggle, and my early photos taken by the Moto G 5G don’t change that opinion. Like other cheaper phones, photos taken in outdoor environments or indoor locations with good lighting come out OK, but without much detail.
Outdoor photo taken on the Moto G 5G of the Public Theater.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
Indoor photo taken on the Moto G 5G at a Twister Air demo event.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
The 8-megapixel front-facing camera is similarly serviceable, but photos look a little plain.
Front-facing camera photo taken on the Moto G 5G.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
I’ll reserve judgment after I have taken the Moto G 5G through more photo scenes, but my early indoor photos are comparable to the Moto G Power 5G — which is to say that they are fairly blurry and lack detail. Photos are usable but more for quick group chats and social posts.
A cocktail photo taken at a friend’s house on the Moto G 5G.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
The Moto G 5G’s 5,000mAh battery, however, easily lasted two days during my early tests, matching the performance that I saw on the Moto G Power 5G and the $200 Moto G Stylus. As we continue to test phones in the $300 price range, it has been comforting to see the 5,000mAh battery become a standard feature in 2023. However, I hope Motorola finds a way to speed up charging, as the Moto G 5G’s 15-watt max speed takes about 90 minutes to charge from 4% to 88%. It’s not awful, but is slow when compared with the 33-watt charging included on comparable phones like the OnePlus N300 and OnePlus N20.
Motorola has been releasing several phones over the last few weeks, with the Moto G 5G arriving alongside the $800 Motorola Edge Plus. The Moto G 5G appears to be offering a middle ground between the 4G-only Moto G Stylus and the Moto G Power. The main question as I continue testing is whether this phone’s trade-offs are worth the lower price, or if someone searching for a deal should consider paying slightly less for the Stylus or more for the Power.
With the rise of remote work, you may be looking to buy a desktop for your home office. Because they’re not designed to be portable, they can typically offer more power than a laptop at a lower price point, and right now you can snag one at a discount. Shopping refurbished is already a great way to save some cash, and today only, you can save even more on select refurb Dell models. Dell is offering 50% off refurb models priced at $199 or more with the promo code 50DESKTOP199. This offer is only available until 6:59 a.m. PT (9:59 a.m. ET) tomorrow, so be sure to get your order in before then if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.
There are over 150 different desktops to choose from at this sale, and all have been rated as either grade A or grade B refurbs, which means they may show slight signs of wear and tear, but will be in full working condition. It’s also worth noting that this offer excludes clearance items.
If you just want a PC that can handle the basics like checking your email and browsing the web, this Dell OptiPlex 3050 MFF is one of the most affordable models you’ll find at this sale. It’s a grade B refurb that comes equipped with a four-core Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, and you can get it for just $105 after the discount. Or if you need something with some serious power, you can pick up this OptiPlex 5060 MT for $325 after the discount. It features 32GB of RAM for lightning-fast performance, as well as an Intel Core i7 processor, 512GB SSD and an AMD Radeon RX 550 GPU. There are even some all-in-one desktops available, like this OptiPlex 7470 AIO, which features a 24-inch full HD display, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. It’s a grade A refurb, and you can grab it on sale for $445 after the discount.
And for even more bargains, you can check out our full roundup of all the best desktop deals available now.
If you tell this Optimus Primal to roll out, it really will. Hasbro is revealing Thursday an Optimus Primal animatronic toy that automatically transformers between its gorilla and robot modes, just by speaking to it.
The Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Command and Convert Animatronic Optimus Primal goes on sale today at $125, and features a 12.5-inch Optimus inspired by how the character will look in the upcoming movie.
The electronic toy includes 100 sound and motion combinations that will also play alongside the self-transformation. The figure also includes molded fur details for its gorilla mode and two attachable sword accessories.
Optimus Primal after transforming into robot mode via either a voice command or a button press.
Hasbro
This Optimus Primal comes after two iterations of the self-transforming Optimus Prime, the latter being a higher-end $750 set that includes a transforming trailer.
The Optimus Primal will respond to any voice command (not specifically “Optimus, transform,” but you could totally use that). It is now available for preorder on Hasbro Pulse and Amazon.
Online security has never been more important but it can be hard to maintain strong, unique passwords for every website you log into without a way to store them. Instead of writing them down, having to reset your password each time you try log in or, worse, compromising on safety by using the same password everywhere, it’s worth upgrading your setup to include a password manager.
And with Dashlane’s current 50% off sale now live ahead of Memorial Day weekend, you can upgrade your online security with $20 off its annual Premium plan. Down to just $20 with code MEMDAY23, it’s the equivalent of paying just $1.67 a month — but the deal expires May 30.
Dashlane’s service isn’t super expensive even at its full price of $40 for the year (or $6.49 monthly) but saving half certainly reduces the barrier to entry. The plan will renew at its regular annual price after your first year is up unless canceled.
A password manager like Dashlane allows you store all of your login credentials in one secure and encrypted vault. You can also use it to save important info like payment information, IDs, notes and more. Your passwords and other secure info can then be accessed across all of your devices with apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web.
Dashlane can even help you generate stronger passwords and autofill them when you go to log in so you don’t have to worry about remembering them. Dark Web Monitoring is included with the Premium plan so you’ll be alerted if one of your passwords has been breached and you’ll be given steps to fix it. Another neat feature of this top-tier individual plan is a VPN for secure web browsing.
When you’re looking to stream the latest seasons of shows like Outlander, Yellowstone or new movies like Avatar 2, you probably search Google. But finding upcoming release dates for Netflix, Disney Plus, Max and any other streaming service can be time-consuming without a system.
So what’s the best way to hunt for which titles will be available on a particular streaming platform? Write it on a sticky note? Add it to your phone’s calendar? Use the streaming app’s reminder feature? While those methods may be effective, there are apps that can do it better.
Here are my suggestions for free apps that help you track streaming TV shows and films you plan to watch, ones you’re already immersed in and titles you may be curious about but need solid recommendations. They can alert you when new episodes are set to drop or remind you where you left off in a show. I should mention that some apps below are integrated with Trakt, a web-based platform that syncs with your PC, phone or home media center, but its native app is still pretty clunky, so we left it off this list.
TV Time tracks TV shows and movies, pitches recommendations and connects you with fellow fans on social media. The app is available for Android and Apple users and you can sign up for an account using Google, Apple, Twitter, Facebook or email. To get started, choose what shows you’ve watched on which streaming service (or network). Interestingly, when scrolling through Hulu’s selections, only its originals are listed but the app tells you that you can add more later.
With TV Time, you can choose from multiple lineups, including Trending Shows like Ted Lasso, Demon Slayer or Grey’s Anatomy. There are also categories for genres, a “Most Added” section with titles such as You and even a “Most Added Animation Series” row.
Once you lock in your choices, TV Time collates a Watch List and suggests which episodes of your chosen shows you should watch next. There’s a separate tab labeled “Upcoming” that outlines the day and time that new episodes drop. Thanks to TV Time, I now know the exact premiere dates for The Witcher season 3 on Netflix and the new season of Reservation Dogs on Hulu.
The app also prompts you to check off which movies you’ve watched, and the list spans decades, platforms and genres. Once you’ve completed that step, TV Time then asks what movies you want to watch. Here is where you search for specific titles or pick from TV Time’s trending list to add them to a calendar.
Additionally, you can filter your TV Time display by progress — including what you finished, shows and movies you stopped midway or what you’re currently watching.
You may already be familiar with JustWatch as an app that curates where a title is streaming, but you can also make a watchlist, track upcoming releases, and watch a show with a single click. Once you open the app, you can select each streaming service you use — including Disney Plus, Crunchyroll and Fubo — to watch shows and films. There are 100-plus providers listed on JustWatch, and the app recently added a streaming guide for sports.
Use the app to search for TV shows and movies or click Discover to go on a scrolling adventure. Narrow your search by platform, genre, year or rating. When you click a show tile, you can tap “Track” to keep up with every episode and season. JustWatch will ask which episodes you’ve watched, and you can check off entire seasons or individual installments. Where this app stands out is when you navigate to “Watch Now” to click a streaming service’s logo, and you’re immediately taken to the show’s landing page to begin watching. Talk about convenience.
Add a title to your watch list, and JustWatch tells you which episode to watch next or you can check off when you’re caught up. It also displays the dates for upcoming episodes.
For sports fans, JustWatch Sports directs you to where you can stream football (NFL and NCAA), basketball (NBA), baseball (MLB), soccer (MLS, Liga MX and all major European leagues), tennis and Formula 1 legally online.
The app also has a personal recommendation feature and displays the price of each streaming platform. You can use JustWatch on a web browser, on Fire TV devices or on iOS and Android mobile devices. Sign up directly on the app or with your Google or Facebook account.
Available on iOS and Android, Hobi is one of the most popular and comprehensive tracking apps out there.When you open it, you can select the shows you plan to watch or have watched, and Hobi indicates where you left off. The titles are added to your watch list. If it’s an old show, Hobi lets you know the series ended but still reminds you which episodes are next for you. The Discover feature highlights trending shows, series returning in the current week, new ones airing for the month, and recommendations across genres and networks, including HBO and Netflix.
In addition to monitoring your watch list and new episode release dates, Hobi provides personal viewing stats on how much TV you’ve watched. It also estimates your favorite genres based on those statistics. The app can be integrated with Trakt.
SeriesGuide is available on Android and Amazon Fire TV, and touts that it has no ads and doesn’t track your personal information.
When you first sign on to SeriesGuide, it gives you the option to block spoilers for show episodes you haven’t watched yet. You can either search for a title or click Discover and scroll through a lengthy list of content. Like Hobi and TV Time, the app lets you know which platform houses the series or movie you’d like to watch or track. It also integrates with Trakt.
Once you select your shows, SeriesGuide provides upcoming release dates or recent release dates and times. For example, the display shows that episode 9 of Succession dropped on Max at 9 p.m. ET on May 21, and Power Book IV season 2 debuts on Starz on Friday, Sept. 1. I’ve been able to glean tracking information for content on Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, Max, Paramount (Yellowstone) and more.
Its movie listings are pulled from TMDB and JustWatch, and you’ll find the release date, run time, cast credits and synopsis on the page. You can add films to your personal watchlist, click on the trailer link or tap the Stream/Purchase option if the digital version is available.
Among its features, there’s a notification system that alerts you when new episodes are available, a favorites list and a catalog of how many episodes remain unwatched per season. With SeriesGuide, you can click “Skip” and the app will consider an episode watched. The user interface is very easy to navigate, and you can sync alerts to your device’s calendar, rate content or check out your viewing statistics for movies and shows.
Cinetrak allows you to track both TV shows and movies, but you have to set up a Trakt log-in in order to create watch lists. You will see ads at the bottom of the screen, but the interface is clean and intuitive. Under the TV Shows menu, you can find titles under several categories: Genres, Trending, Popular and Top Watched. Click on a series and Cinetrak pulls up general information about the show and the seasons. Tap the plus sign to add a show by title, episode or season.
The calendar feature allows you to see episodes that have been watched, added to collections or added to your watch lists. Basic access is free, but you can upgrade your account for additional features such as creating “Liked” lists, curated collections or sharing with friends.
Take the time to review the privacy notices and settings for each service. JustWatch explains that it collects user data that may be used to target ads based on your movie tastes, while TV Time also uses nonpersonal information for marketing and advertising purposes. With the latter, you’re also able to toggle your personal account settings and set it to private, which prevents nonfollowers from viewing your activity. You can also unlink social media accounts.
Should I pay to upgrade for more tracking perks?
Though some of these apps offer the ability to upgrade, we recommend sticking with the free versions, especially if you just want a basic way to remind yourself of upcoming releases or to track your progress for a show.
Why didn’t Reelgood make this list?
Reelgood is an excellent platform that enables you to track movies and TV shows that have already been released or those with scheduled arrivals for the current month. However, it doesn’t provide information for the months ahead. JustWatch and TV Time, on the other hand, show the release date for the new season along with an episode count. You can even set a notification for its arrival.
