SCIENCE & TECH: Stranger Things S5 can wait: I’m grabbing these 3 Black Friday streaming deals instead – save big on Binge, Apple TV and Disney+

After years of waiting, Stranger Things’ fifth and final season is finally here, but I think I’ll be holding off on watching, and not just for its odd release schedule.

Netflix’s Standard subscription recently increased to AU$20.99 per month (as reported by Tom’s Guide), while its premium subscription sets customers back a whopping AU$28.99 a month – but the king of streaming has customers in a chokehold. That won’t change anytime soon, either, as Stranger Things season five will release in three volumes – the first launched on November 27, part two arrives on December 26, and the finale lands on New Year’s Day (upside) Down Under.

However, I’ll be waiting until January to binge it all in one fell swoop, even though I actually prefer the week-to-week releases. That’s because I’m busy spreading my entertainment across Binge, Apple TV and Disney+ thanks to their stellar Black Friday discounts.

Right now, you can get a month of Binge Premium for AU$2, six months of Apple TV at 50% off and an annual Disney+ subscription for just AU$111.99. While you’ll have to pay a lump sum for Disney, the monthly total of all three subscriptions is just AU$19.32 – less than a Standard Netflix subscription.

Wondering what to watch on each service? Apple TV has top-tier content of every kind, including comedy series like The Studio and Shrinking, and edge-of-your-seat drama in the form of Slow Horses, Black Bird, and Presumed Innocent. However, it really excels in sci-fi, with series like For All Mankind, Severance, Silo, and the currently-running Pluribus.

If you’re just going to enjoy a one-month stint with Binge for a gold coin, it’s hard to recommend anything other than All Her Fault. It features an all-star cast, including Sara Snook (Succession) and Dakota Fanning (Ripley), and follows the world-crushing moments immediately following a child’s disappearance.

Last, but certainly not least, Disney+ has a vast, Netflix-like library that accounts for any need. The highlights are live US sport and the entire Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, and Pixar libraries. However, new this month are The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Taylor Swift’s The End of an Era and The Eras Tour: The Final Show. And, perhaps most importantly, the second season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

For even more Black Friday deals, be sure to follow our live coverage of the Black Friday sales in Australia.