September is when the streaming calendar starts to get busy again. New seasons arrive, fall premieres begin rolling out, and there’s suddenly a lot more to watch. But that doesn’t mean every subscription deserves a permanent spot on your monthly bill.
A Tom’s Guide survey about streaming habits found that readers are spending more than $60 a month on seven or more streaming services. With subscriptions adding up so quickly, it makes more sense to think of streaming services as a rotating lineup rather than a collection you keep year-round. Cancel the ones that have gone quiet, then resubscribe when they have something you actually want to watch.
For September 2026, Paramount+ and the Hulu/Disney+ bundle are the two services I’d be most comfortable canceling. Both have plenty of recognizable franchises and occasional must-watch hits, but this month’s lineups don’t quite make the case for another recurring charge. Here’s why they’re the streaming services to cancel right now.
Why I’d cancel Paramount+
Paramount+ is one of those streaming services that can be surprisingly easy to love. Between its expanding lineup of original dramas (including “Yellowstone” spinoffs), comedies and movies, there’s usually plenty of good stuff to justify keeping it around. September, however, is looking a little parched.
The biggest draw is “MobLand” season 2, which brings back Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan for another round of ruthless gangster family drama. New episodes arrive weekly starting Sept. 18, making it the clear standout of Paramount+’s September lineup.
The only other notable drops are “Colin From Accounts” season 3 and the streaming premiere of the new “Scary Movie.” But it’s hard to argue that those offerings are worth another month of subscription fees.
The NFL is another big reason people might be tempted to keep Paramount+. But if you’re mainly there for CBS’s Sunday games, you can watch those broadcasts for you can watch for free the old-fashioned way — with a TV antenna. Same goes for CBS shows, though the network’s regular fall lineup doesn’t really get rolling until October; the earliest major return is “Survivor” season 51 on Sept. 23.
Why I’d cancel Disney+
If you’re a parent, Disney+ feels like one of those subscriptions you have to keep paying for. There’s Bluey, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and enough Disney movies to keep kids occupied for approximately the next 400 years. But September is also when school starts, schedules get hectic and free time becomes limited. If your family isn’t actually sitting down to watch Disney+ regularly, this may be a good month to cut it loose.
The standalone Disney+ lineup isn’t exactly making a compelling case to stay. The biggest new addition is “LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian,” a cute animated special arriving Sept. 2. “Dancing With the Stars” also returns Sept. 22, giving reality-TV fans a weekly appointment to keep. But beyond that, there isn’t much on the Disney side of the service that feels essential this month.
There is one very important caveat: this recommendation is really for standalone Disney+ subscribers. If you get Disney+ as part of a bundle with Hulu, it’s a slightly different story. Hulu has more going on in September, including the continuing seasons of “The Shards” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Chad Powers” season 2 and “American Horror Story” season 13, among other titles.
But if you’re paying for Disney+ on its own and the kids are back in school, ask yourself how much use you’re realistically going to get from it this month.
How much you’ll save by canceling Disney+ and Paramount+
Disney+ and Paramount+ both offer several pricing tiers, so your exact savings will depend on which plans you have. But if you’re paying for the standard ad-supported plans, canceling both for one month can save you roughly $19. If you have the ad-free plans and get rid of them, you’re looking at around $33.
That might not seem like a lot, but if you could cut around $30 a month from your streaming bill, that adds up to $360 for the year. That’s a nice chunk of change you can put toward the holidays, a trip or just some peace of mind.
And remember: You don’t have to give up these services forever. The whole point is to take advantage of the flexibility of streaming. Skip a month when the lineup is thin, then resubscribe when a show you actually want to watch makes it worthwhile.
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