As spring turns into early summer and your calendar starts filling up with plans that don’t involve your couch, it’s a good time to take a harder look at your streaming lineup. Subscriptions have a way of quietly piling up — and so do their monthly charges — making this the perfect moment to cut back without feeling like you’re missing much.
The average American is still shelling out an average of $84 a month on the best streaming services, according to Lending Tree. And with nearly every major platform hiking prices or adding tiers, staying subscribed to everything at once just doesn’t add up anymore. The smarter play is to rotate: keep the services that are delivering right now, and hit pause on the ones that aren’t pulling their weight.
For May 2026, two streamers fall into that latter category: HBO Max and Peacock. Both have their strengths, but this month’s lineups make them easier to skip than keep. Here’s why these are the services to cancel — at least for now.
Why I’d cancel HBO Max
(Image credit: Max)
HBO Max still carries a certain prestige. It’s the place you go for buzzy dramas, originals like “The Pitt” and a deep bench of movies. But prestige only goes so far when the must-watch factor isn’t quite there, and in May, the streamer feels more like a “catch up later” than a “stay subscribed now.”
To be fair, there are a few notable exceptions, and I’ll state them right up front. The finale of “Rooster” lands May 3, so if you’ve been watching, it’s worth hanging on for just a few more days to see how it all wraps — and then cancel. And then there are two major ongoing shows: “Euphoria” season 3 and “Hacks,” both of which run through the end of the month (with Hacks airing its series finale on May 28). But that timing actually works in your favor; instead of staying subscribed all month, you can just come back in June and binge both seasons in full, finales included.
Outside of those headline titles, the May lineup leans more “interesting” than essential. The movie slate is strong, with theatrical titles like “Wuthering Heights” and the Charli XCX mockumentary “The Moment” arriving on HBO Max. There’s also the original film “Miss You, Love You,” pairing Allison Janney and Andrew Rannells in a grief-tinged dramedy. Then again, they’ll all still be on the platform next month.
Why I’d cancel Peacock
(Image credit: RGR Collection / Alamy Stock Photo)
Peacock has its strengths — reality hits and Universal movies — but in May, it’s missing the one thing that really matters: a big, buzzy original. The reality spinoff “Love Island: Beyond the Villa” wraps May 6, the new crime series “M.I.A.” premieres May 7, and “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair” lands later in the month. Individually, they’re appealing enough. But none feel like can’t-miss, must-watch-now programming.
It’s also worth noting that NBC’s biggest shows will be airing their finales throughout May, and Peacock does offer next-day streaming. But you don’t actually need a subscription to keep up — you can watch NBC the old-fashioned way with an over-the-air TV antenna. no monthly fee required.
And if you’re thinking longer-term, Peacock will be much more relevant very soon, as it’s set to carry World Cup coverage in June. Cancel now, then come back when there’s a true must-watch event on deck. Bonus: You can catch up on anything you missed in May.
How much you’ll save by canceling HBO Max and Peacock
If you drop HBO Max (Max) and Peacock in May, the savings are actually more meaningful than they might look at first glance, especially if you have one of the higher-end tiers.
HBO Max runs $10.99/month with ads, $18.49 for the standard ad-free plan, and $22.99 for premium ad-free. Peacock ranges from $7.99/month for Select, $10.99 for Premium (with ads), and $16.99 for Premium Plus.
Altogether, that means canceling both services in May up to $40 back in your pocket for the month, depending on which plans you’re on.
That may not seem like a lot, but over the course of a year, your streaming subscriptions can quickly add up. Rotating out even a couple of services for a month or two at a time can easily translate into $150+ in annual savings, without really changing how much you’re watching. You just resubscribe when something genuinely worth your time (and money) shows up, instead of paying for everything all the time.
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