Verizon

There are a couple of conditions to keep in mind. The first of which is that the included Hulu subscription gives you access to the platform’s ad-supported tier, not its more expensive ad-free plan. Moreover, the base 200Mbps plan, which costs $40 per month, isn’t included in the deal. However, it still comes with a free year of Disney+. 

One other thing to note is that you’ll need to cancel the included Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions if you don’t want to pay for them beyond the time that you have access to them for free. Otherwise, they’ll automatically renew, costing you $13 per month together. The promotion ends on September 23rd, after which it’s possible to redeem the trials until December 23rd. Lastly, the deal is also available to returning customers. 

Comcast and Verizon (Engadget’s parent company) are extending their pledges to keep people online as the US grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. Both providers have announced that their no-disconnect policies will now last through June 30th for home, small business and wireless subscribers. As before, anyone who can’t pay their bills during the period just has to notify the appropriate company to avoid disconnections and late fees.

We’ve asked AT&T and T-Mobile if they’re following suit. Multiple major telecoms adopted the FCC’s Keep Americans Connected pledge in mid-March as the government agency stressed the importance of enabling remote communication for work and school, not to mention to offset the economic impact.

If you want to hunt the videos down on Comcast, you only have to say “free” into your voice remote. More material from “dozens” of networks and other partners will be available on a “rolling basis” over the weeks ahead, Comcast said.

Verizon, meanwhile, is offering a mix of similar on-demand viewing as well as educational tools for wireless and Fios customers. Epix, Showtime and Gaiam’s fitness channel will be available for free for 30 days starting on April 1st. Students get access to educational resources like Bookful, Chegg, Epic! and Quizlet.

This should help subscribers stay informed and entertained while they’re isolating themselves during the coronavirus outbreak. With that said, Comcast and Verizon also have a vested interest in handing out freebies. Financial uncertainty, however temporary, could lead some subscribers to cancel service or avoid upgrades to premium packages — the offers might convince them to stay subscribed or expand their selection while they’re stuck at home.

Fios and DSL users don’t have data caps, Verizon reiterated.

The provider is also offering some breaks for those facing a financial hit from the coronavirus outbreak. It’s waiving overage charges and late fees, and will waive broadband and voice charges for existing Lifeline customers. If you need wired internet access, Lifeline customers will get a $20 per month discount on Mix & Match plans that lower their service to $20 per month for a 200Mbps plan. You’ll eventually have to rent the router, but those charges are waived for 20 days.

It’s not necessarily difficult for Verizon to implement some of these moves. When many states are effectively on lockdown, there’s likely to be less demand for mobile data in general. We’d add that other carriers have implemented their own measures, such as T-Mobile’s new $15 5G plan and AT&T’s expansion of its Access low-cost internet plan to more households. Providers are bracing for a significant impact from stay-at-home orders and mass closures for businesses, and efforts like this could be crucial to both keeping people online and preventing a steep drop in subscribers.

Update 3/23 7:20PM ET: Verizon reiterated that there haven’t been caps on landline broadband to start with — we’ve updated accordingly.

The bundle does give you a Chromecast Ultra and Stadia controller to keep, but you’re getting the same three-month trial of Stadia Pro that any Premiere Edition buyer gets. You’ll have to keep subscribing at $10 per month if you want Pro features beyond that, or else resign yourself to using the free 1080p tier when it’s ready. You also have to use the promo code for Stadia within 60 days of receiving it, so you can’t sit on the deal until there are enough games to make you happy.

This does stack on top of the Disney+ one-year deal, mind you, and you can always cancel before the Stadia Pro trial is over. Think of it as a way to flex your internet connection’s muscle and wind up with a couple of goodies when all is said and done.

YouTube TV gives subscribers access to live TV programming from networks like CBS and Fox, as well as from cable stations like the Food Network, CNN and ESPN. The partnership will allow them to add the service to their internet bundles, though it’s not clear at the moment if Verizon will be able to offer the option at a lower price. A YouTube TV subscription typically costs $50 a month for over 70 channels, six accounts, three simultaneous streams and a personal DVR with no storage space limits. Verizon did say, however, that the team-up will give it a way to offer “unique, high-value YouTube TV promotions to customers across platforms.”

Heather Rivera, Global Head of Product Partnerships at YouTube, said in a statement:

“YouTube TV has become known for its best-in-class user experience that enhances the way users watch live TV today. With this partnership, we’re making it simple and seamless for Verizon’s customers to sign up to enjoy YouTube TV on-the-go on their mobile phones or tablets or at home on their big screen devices.”