Here’s my monthly look at media of interest, this time for April 2026.
Movies
A full list is available here.
- The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, April 1
DVDs and Blu-rays
A full list is available here.
- Over the Garden Wall (complete series) (Blu-ray), April 7
Sports
- NBA Finals playoffs, starting April 18 (ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, Amazon Prime Video)
- NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, starting April 18 (ABC/ESPN, TNT/TBS)
- Inside Out Classic (Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers), 7 PM ET/4 PM PT, April 5 (ESPN+, Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD; normal game broadcast on ESPN)
My thoughts
Based on Tubi’s “coming soon” page, they aren’t adding in April any of the Cartoon Network/Hanna-Barbera cartoons previously announced.
Fans of Cartoon Network’s “Over the Garden Wall” will be pleased it’s finally coming to Blu-ray, making it a rare Cartoon Network show available in that format.
Yet another Netflix price hike
Last week, Netflix announced yet another price hike, this one across the board. The new pricing:
- Ad-based tier: $9/month (up from $8)
- Standard ad-free tier: $20/month (up from $18)
- Premium (4K, ad-free) tier: $27/month (up from $25)
Yikes. By my calculations, after local sales tax, Netflix’s standard ad-free tier would now cost me a bit over $22 a month. I always viewed $20 a month as the most I’m willing to pay ongoing for a single streaming service, and Netflix has finally run into that. I canceled Netflix several years ago to save money. I can always subscribe for a month, binge content, and then cancel if needed; otherwise, I think I’m done with paying for Netflix as an ongoing service. Which still feels odd, as Netflix is a service I had as a mainstay for years, going back to its DVD rental-by-mail days. Of course, Netflix also was much cheaper.
I’ve been tracking my DVD and Blu-ray purchases over the past several years (to supply my Jellyfin media server with content). After adjusting for inflation, I calculate that my average monthly DVD/Blu-ray spending is only several dollars more per month than what Netflix now costs. Even ignoring everything else (Tubi, rival services like Disney+, YouTube, DVDs from the library, piracy, etc.), at this point, Netflix isn’t worth the monthly expense, and I’m better off just buying physical media.
Of course, there’s the cheaper ad-based tier, which is what Netflix and other streaming services want to steer customers towards, since it’s more lucrative (the monthly cost and ad revenue—double dipping a la cable TV). But between not wanting to sit through commercials and Netflix’s plans to introduce AI ads this year, I’ll pass.
For affordable ad-free streaming options, the remaining options left include: PBS Passport ($5 a month); Hoopla and Kanopy (free via the public library); and smaller/niche services like Dropout (at $7 a month). As a bonus, these services aren’t carrying ads for ICE recruitment, unlike some of the major streaming services.
Sports stuff
Disney’s airing yet another real time animated simulcast of a sporting event. This time, it’s the “Inside Out Classic,” using the characters from “Inside Out” and its sequel to cover a Capitals/Rangers game. I note as of this writing, the Washington Capitals are just outside of qualifying for the playoffs, while the Rangers have already been eliminated. So anthropomorphic versions of a teenage girl’s emotions might be the only reason to bother tuning in, unless you’re a fan of either team.
