Black Friday Subscription Deals: the Date the Intro Price Ends
Most Black Friday subscription deals are a low price for the first months, then the regular price. Last year HBO Max was $2.99 a month for 12 months, then back to $10.99. Write down the date it changes the day you sign up.
Most Black Friday subscription deals work the same way: a low price for a set number of months, then the regular price, charged to the same card without a new sign-up. Last year HBO Max offered $2.99 a month for 12 months, down from $10.99, and Apple TV offered $5.99 a month for 6 months instead of $12.99. The deal itself is often good. The cost comes later, on the date the intro price ends, and that date is easy to lose. Write it down the day you sign up.
What Black Friday subscription deals look like
Every year, deal roundups list the same kinds of offers for streaming, music, audiobooks and apps. Here is what the 2025 Black Friday streaming deals looked like, as listed by 9to5Google on November 28, 2025:
| Service | Black Friday 2025 offer | Price it was cut from |
|---|---|---|
| HBO Max, Basic with Ads | $2.99 a month for 12 months | $10.99 a month |
| Disney+ and Hulu bundle, with ads | $4.99 a month for 12 months | Regular bundle price |
| Apple TV | $5.99 a month for 6 months | $12.99 a month |
| Paramount+ | $2.99 a month for the first 2 months | $7.99 Essential, $12.99 Premium |
The 2026 offers will be different, and regular prices change too. Several went up this year, as our roundup of streaming price increases in 2026 shows. But the shape is the same every year: an intro price, a number of months, and a regular price that starts on its own.
The fine print matters as well. The HBO Max deal, for example, applied only to one plan, and the discount went away if you switched plans.
What to write down the day you sign up
The confirmation email usually has everything, but it gets buried under next week's receipts. Take one minute on sign-up day and note:
- The intro price and how many months it lasts.
- The regular price after that, or "unknown" if the page does not say.
- The date the price changes. Count from the sign-up date: 12 months from November 27 is November 27 next year.
- Where you pay. Directly, through the Apple App Store, through Google Play, or through another company such as your phone carrier. That decides where you cancel.
- The plan. Some deals only apply to one plan. Switching may cancel the discount.
If you sign up for several deals over Black Friday weekend, this list is the only thing that keeps them apart a year later. Our subscription audit template helps when it is time to decide which ones to keep.
Keep it, cancel it, or cancel now?
A week before the intro price ends, decide. Three honest options:
- Keep it at full price if you used it most weeks.
- Cancel if you did not. You keep access until the end of the period you have paid for.
- Look for the next deal. Some services offer returning subscribers a new discount, but there is no promise of that.
Should you cancel right after signing up, so it cannot renew? It depends on how the deal is billed. Google Play's subscription help says that when you cancel, you can still use the subscription for the time you have already paid. So for a deal paid up front for a year, canceling early can be safe. For a deal billed monthly at the intro price, canceling early usually ends it after the current month, and you lose the rest of the cheap months. Read the offer terms before you do it.
If the deal starts with a free trial through Apple, Apple's guide to canceling subscriptions says to cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends. Our guides on canceling a free trial before you are charged and the notice deadline before a renewal cover the rest.
Let Tracy hold the date
Tracy, the assistant in dEssence, does the writing down for you. Forward her the sign-up confirmation from Telegram, iMessage, Chrome or the web, or send a screenshot of the offer page. She keeps the service, the intro price, the number of months, the regular price if it is shown, and the date it changes.
A week before that date she messages you with the numbers in hand: what you pay now, what you will pay next, and where you signed up. If you signed up for three deals on the same weekend, she keeps three dates, not one vague memory.
She does not cancel subscriptions or log in to your accounts, and she does not read your email on her own. You send her the confirmation; she brings it back before the price goes up.
Frequently asked questions
Are Black Friday subscription deals worth it?
Often, if you would pay for the service anyway. The saving is real for the intro months. It stops being a deal if the service renews at full price for months you do not use, so write down the end date when you sign up.
What happens when a Black Friday subscription deal ends?
The subscription renews at the regular price on the same payment method, unless you cancel or change plans first. Some services send a reminder email; do not count on it.
When is Black Friday 2026?
Friday, November 27, 2026, the day after Thanksgiving. Some subscription deals start earlier in the week. Our Black Friday 2026 guide has the store dates.
Can I cancel a Black Friday subscription deal right away?
Usually yes, but you may lose the rest of the deal. On Google Play you keep access for the time you have paid. For a deal billed monthly, canceling often ends it after the current month. Check the offer terms first.