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Streaming Service
You may remember Shout Factory for its DVDs and Blu-rays. In 2015, the company decided to enter the streaming media world with the release of Shout Factory TV. Shout Factory TV holds a unique place in the world of streaming media, both in terms of the type of media they focus on (cult hits) and the variety of ways their content is made available.
What does Shout Factory TV have to offer for you? Let’s take a look.
Before we get into the content, let’s look at how Shout Factory TV works. There are three ways to watch Shout Factory TV:
That third option deserves a bit more discussion. The first two options let you choose what to watch on-demand, but the third option is a “linear” channel — meaning that everything is shown on a schedule, just as it is with your typical cable or satellite TV channels.
There are a lot of ways to get this TV channel version of Shout Factory TV. Shout Factory TV offers a 24/7 linear livestream channel via any of the following services. If you use one of these services – some of which don’t even require a subscription – then you already have access to the Shout Factory TV channel!
Shout Factory TV uses its livestream channel to host frequent events, including marathons of Super Sentai and replays of hits from the VHS era. Of course, since this is a linear livestream, you cannot choose the content you will see at any point in time like you can through the Shout Factory TV app, Amazon Prime Video, or Roku Premium. You also lose the ability to pause or rewind the content. It’s the same as watching a standard TV channel without a DVR.
Let’s talk a bit about what content Shout Factory TV’s content has available. They make no effort to hide what they are about: cult hits. This includes contemporary cult favorites as well as offerings from the past several decades. If you want the latest blockbuster, Shout Factory TV is not where you will find it. If, however, you want Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), Gene Autry films, and Elvira – then you’re in luck, because that is exactly what Shout Factory TV delivers.
Shout Factory TV does have newer original content as well. Some of these will remind you more of YouTube videos than your typical TV fare. For example, there’s Why We Love It, a series that – exactly as the name implies – takes a cult hit and explains why it’s so enjoyable. Other originals from Shout Factory TV include coverage from 24-hour telethons and Comic-Con panels.
You’ll find it easy to use the free, ad-supported Shout Factory TV service. It’s available on all of the devices we’ll list below. Notable devices missing from this list include video game consoles (Xbox, PS4, etc.) and iOS phones – although you can still watch the service on your phone via the in-browser app.
Other ways to get Shout Factory TV may have different device availability. Choosing to subscribe through Roku Premium or Amazon Prime Video will mean you’re dealing with the devices that support those individual apps. Likewise, device availability for the 24/7 livestream channel is dependent on which service you view it through.
If you’re willing to watch some ads, Shout Factory TV doesn’t have to cost anything at all. All the Shout Factory TV movies and shows are available as free, ad-supported content.
If you choose to subscribe to get the content ad-free via Amazon Prime Video or Roku Premium, this will cost $2.99/month. In the case of Amazon Prime Video, you will also need to purchase a Prime video subscription if you don’t already have one.
For the free, ad-supported content there is no need to worry about deals. If you’re interested in the ad-free channel on Amazon Prime Video or Roku Premium, you can get a 7-day free trial on either (more on that in the next section). We’re always on the lookout for discounts, but we have never seen much in the way of sales on Shout Factory TV, which isn’t surprising — $2.99 per month is already very cheap!
If you want a free 7-day trial of the ad-free content, you can get it just by signing up on either Amazon Prime Video or Roku Premium. Since Amazon also offers a 30-day free trial of Prime, you can take advantage of this free trial even if you aren’t yet a Prime subscriber. Either option will get you a free week of all the Shout Factory TV content – and you won’t be charged a penny if you cancel within that week.
There is no need to worry about contracts, regardless of whether you use the ad-free or ad-supported channels. If you do opt for the paid, ad-free subscription, your subscription will auto-renew monthly, but you can cancel anytime using the instructions below.
If you are using the free, ad-supported content, there is no need to cancel. You don’t even have to worry about deleting your account, because there are no accounts! You can delete the app and walk away with no worries about additional payments or data privacy.
For the ad-free subscriptions, you will need to cancel them via either Amazon Prime Video or Roku Premium, depending on which you signed up with.
For Amazon Prime Video, follow these steps to cancel.
For Roku Premium, follow these steps to cancel.
For the 24/7 livestream channel, the process for canceling your account would depend on which service you are viewing the channel through.
For more on Shout Factory TV, check out our other coverage of the service. You can find more content related to Shout Factory TV by typing Shout Factory TV into our search bar at the top of the page. If you’re not sure whether Shout Factory TV is for you, similar alternatives worth checking out include Crackle and Tubi.
