Eastlink Customers, You're About to Lose Major Cable Channels in Canada... But You DO Have Streaming Options!

Yesterday, Global News reported that viewers on the Eastlink cable service in Atlantic Canada and Grand Prairie, Alberta, will soon lose access to nearly 35 channels as the telecommunications company was unable to renew a carriage agreement with the channels' parent company Corus Entertainment.

by Georges Brunet, Chief Editor of the @StreamOnABudget blog.

(Editor's Note: All references are in Canadian dollars. Also, if you're planning on checking out any of the streaming services mentioned in this article, please click on the affiliate links provided here, which are marked by a * symbol. Subscribing through our affiliate links keeps the lights on here at @StreamOnABudget with continued development of our blog and our various multimedia projects including the StreamOnABudget Showcase FREE channel/app on Roku! We greatly appreciate you, and THANK YOU! -GB)

According to the report, Troy Reeb, executive vice-president of broadcast networks for Corus, which also oversees all of Global News’ national programming, said the issue is “simply about money.”

“Eastlink doesn’t want to pay what these channels are worth anymore,” he said during an interview on Wednesday with Global News Morning in Edmonton.

He added that customers in bigger markets would mostly remain unaffected by the change, as Eastlink is a cable provider that only serves select locations throughout the country such as Atlantic Canada and Grand Prairie, Alta.

“Subscribers in those places are no longer, as of next week, going to be able to get some of the biggest channels on television,” he said.

“The good news is Eastlink subscribers do have other choices,” he reassured viewers. “If you live in one of those places and happen to want those channels, you can flip over to Telus, or to Shaw Satellite or Bell satellite.”

Reeb said viewers can also subscribe to StackTV, a streaming service offered through Amazon Prime, if they still want to access Corus programming while receiving internet through Eastlink.

Indeed, there are several affordable and budget-conscious ways to stream most of the channels disappearing from Eastlink, including Stack TV via Prime Video Channels. Here's the rundown on some very affordable services available in Canada:  

1. Stack TV by way of Prime Video Channels*: Out of the 34 Corus Entertainment networks that are leaving Eastlink, about half are available through a subscription to Stack TV on the Prime Video platform. If you don't know what Prime Video is about, click here to learn more, but in essence, Prime Video is FREE as part of your Amazon Prime subscription (click here to get a 30-day free trial for Amazon Prime), with tons of additional benefits besides access to plenty of ad-free movies and TV shows. You can subscribe to Stack TV for an additional $12.99 per month, but click here to get a 30-day free trial for Stack TV.
2. Stack TV networks are also part of Fubo TV in Canada*: The pro-sports and soccer-centric streaming service recently added an Entertainment package to its line-up which includes the same channels available in the Prime Video Channels version of Stack TV. If you are looking for more than just Entertainment and you are a sports junkie (particularly Soccer), click here to check out Fubo TV Canada's packages. If you just want the Entertainment package with the channels leaving Eastlink, it's at an affordable subscription price of $14.99/m (after a 7-day free trial). It is $2 more than the cost of Stack TV through Prime Video Channels, but you would get a whopping 1000 hours of Cloud DVR space on Fubo TV, so the extra cost does provide an amazing added value if you want to record your favorite shows for time-shifted viewing.
3. River TV: Canada's premier independent streaming service, River TV, carries many of the same channels available in Stack TV, but with dozens of additional popular networks (including Canada's own CBC, Global and CHCH) at an extremely affordable price. You can also get a free trial for River TV (30 days as of this posting, just click here to check it out), and then you can squeeze into your budget at a very budget-friendly price of $16.99/m after that. Click here to check out River TV's comparison of Stack TV versus their own offerings.   

To view the complete list of channels that are leaving Eastlink, the cable company posted a statement on their website. Click here to view the complete details. (Source: Eastlink)

Additional Sources: Click here to view the original Global News article.

###

All of the services in this article are available on a wide range of devices, including Amazon FireTV, Amazon Firestick Lite, and more. Canadian shoppers looking for the latest generation of Amazon Fire TV Edition TVs and devices, buy one today on Amazon.ca and help support @StreamOnABudget.

Canadian shoppers looking for the latest generation of Roku TVs and devices, buy one today on Amazon.ca and help support @StreamOnABudget.

Free TV Newsletter Rundown

Here's a sample of FREE content that Streamers On A Budget can stream, compiled from recent newsletters that arrived in my email In-box.

Compiled by Georges Brunet, Chief Editor of the @StreamOnABudget blog.

PLEX

From Plex: TOP 10: Check out what everyone’s watching this month on Plex. Click on the movie title to be directed to the movie on Plex.tv.

#1 Mechanic: Resurrection (2016)

Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents.

#2 Solomon Kane (2009)

A ruthless mercenary renounces violence after learning his soul is bound for hell. When a young girl is kidnapped and her family slain by a sorcerer's murderous cult, he is forced to fight and seek his redemption slaying evil.

#3 Chaos (2005)

Two cops, a rookie and a grizzled vet, pursue an accomplished bank robber.

#4 Exposed (2016)

A police detective investigates the truth behind his partner's death. The mysterious case reveals disturbing police corruption and a dangerous secret involving an unlikely young woman.

#5 Self/less (2015)

An extremely wealthy man, dying from cancer, undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man. But all is not as it seems when he starts to uncover the mystery of the body's origin and the organization that will kill to protect its cause.

#6 Centurion (2010)

Britain, A.D. 117. Quintus Dias, the sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, marches north with General Virilus' legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the Earth and destroy their leader, Gorlacon.

#7 Brick Mansions (2014)

An undercover Detroit cop navigates a dangerous neighborhood that's surrounded by a containment wall with the help of an ex-con in order to bring down a crime lord and his plot to devastate the entire city.

#8 The Legend of Hercules (2014)

The origin story of the mythical Greek hero. Betrayed by his stepfather, the King, and exiled and sold into slavery because of a forbidden love, Hercules must use his formidable powers to fight his way back to his rightful kingdom.

#9 Swelter (2014)

Ten years after their casino heist, four escaped convicts trace their former partner to a desert town, where he is now a lawman with no memory of his criminal past.

#10 Mandy (2018)

The enchanted lives of a couple in a secluded forest are brutally shattered by a nightmarish hippie cult and their demon-biker henchmen, propelling a man into a spiraling, surreal rampage of vengeance.

Click here to read the original newsletter.

###

SHOUT! FACTORY TV

From Shout! Factory TV: New this month (June 2023). Click on the movie title to be redirected to Shout! Factory TV.

POINT BREAK

A federal agent infiltrates a gang of surfers suspected of committing a string of bizarre bank robberies for which they wear rubber masks of various former presidents. While investigating the identities of the robbers, the agent develops a complex relationship with the gang’s leader and a female surfer who is close to the gang. Point Break stars Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, Lori Petty, and Gary Busey.

TIME COP

Max Walker, an officer for a security agency that regulates time travel, must fend for his life against a shady politician who's intent on changing the past to control the future. Timecop stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mia Sara, and Ron Silver.

LEGIONNAIRE

Jean-Claude Van Damme thrills as a boxer in 1925 Marseille, France. But when he doesn't take a dive in a fight paid for by the local mob boss, he has to split. He joins the Foreign Legion to become a Legionnaire and is sent to Morocco. He makes friends and they watch each other's backs, but the mob boss sends hired thugs to make their lives even harder … or shorter.

THE LITTLE HOURS

In The Little Hours, a young servant fleeing from his master takes refuge at a convent full of emotionally unstable nuns. Introduced as a deaf mute man, he must fight to hold his cover as the nuns try to resist temptation. Starring Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Dave Franco, John C. Reilly, Kate Micucci, Molly Shannon, Fred Armisen, and Nick Offerman.

VILLAINS

Villains is a 2019 dark comedy written and directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, and starring Bill Skarsgård, Maika Monroe, Blake Baumgartner, Jeffrey Donovan, and Kyra Sedgwick. After a pair of amateur criminals break into a suburban home, they stumble upon a dark secret that two sadistic homeowners will do anything to keep from getting out.

ULTRAMAN COSMOS

19-year-old Musashi works with the Monster Preservation Center to help protect strange and potentially dangerous gigantic creatures. But when a mysterious glowing virus from outer space transforms the peaceful giant creature Lidorius into a rampaging, destructive monster, Musashi must call upon the power of Ultraman Cosmos to save the day. After seeing Musashi’s bravery as well as his concern for the preservation of life, Captain Hiura invites him to join TEAM EYES (Elite Young Expert Squadron), a special task force dedicated to protecting mankind from monsters and alien menaces.

Click here to check out the collection of linear streaming channels from Shout! Factory TV.

###

Both Plex and Shout! Factory TV have dozens of live channels combined, so there's plenty of great FREE live TV from many genres and niche content for all tastes. These are a but a small selection of movies and TV shows on demand available from each of these great streaming services. Check them out and start your next binge watch today! 

Search your favorite streaming device with the terms PLEX and SHOUT FACTORY to find and install both of these apps and start watching all of the great movies listed in this post today!

#StreamOn! -Georges.

###

These apps are available on a wide range of devices, including Amazon FireTV, Amazon Firestick Lite, and more. Canadian shoppers looking for the latest generation of Amazon Fire TV Edition TVs and devices, buy one today on Amazon.ca and help support @StreamOnABudget.

Canadian shoppers looking for the latest generation of Roku TVs and devices, buy one today on Amazon.ca and help support @StreamOnABudget.

================================= ADVERTISEMENT =================================

FATAL ATTRACTION TV Series Streaming Now On Paramount+ in Canada and US, Promo Code for 30-day Free Trial.

All eight episodes of the hit Paramount+ series FATAL ATTRACTION are available to binge right now!

The all-new series is a deep dive reimagining of the 1980s cultural touchstone FATAL ATTRACTION through the lens of privilege, personality disorders, family dynamics and murder. In the present day, after serving 15 years in prison for the murder of Alexandra Forrest (Lizzy Caplan), Daniel Gallagher (Joshua Jackson) is paroled with the goals of reconnecting with his family and proving his innocence. In 2008, Dan first meets Alex and his world begins to unravel after their brief affair threatens to destroy the life he’s built with his wife, Beth (Amanda Peet).

The series stars Joshua Jackson as Dan Gallagher, Lizzy Caplan as Alex Forrest, Amanda Peet as Beth Gallagher, Toby Huss as Mike Gerard, Brian Goodman as Arthur Tomlinson, Alyssa Jirrels as Ellen Gallagher and Reno Wilson as Detective Earl Brooker.

Alexandra Cunningham (“Dirty John,” “Chance”) serves as writer, showrunner and executive producer on the series alongside executive producer Kevin J. Hynes (“Perry Mason”), with whom Cunningham developed the series, and executive producers Darryl Frank (“The Americans”) and Justin Falvey (“The Americans”) for Amblin Television. Silver Tree also serves as executive producer and directed five episodes. FATAL ATTRACTION is produced by Paramount Television Studios.

"Every decision has a consequence." Check out a special trailer/featurette about the reimagining of the iconic 1987 classic movie.



If you haven't subscribed to Paramount+ before and FATAL ATTRACTION is at the top of your streaming Watch List, now is a perfect time to binge! Normally, new subscribers to Paramount+ can try the service for free for 7 days, but we have a special promo code for you that will extend that free trial to 30 days:

Use promo code FATALATTRACTION and try Paramount+ FREE for 30 days! The promo code is good through August 1, 2023.

Here is all the info about Paramount+ and how you can start watching FATAL ATTRACTION today:

CANADA: Subscribe for $9.99 CAD / Month. Cancel anytime Join now & get 7 days FREE.
CANADA: Subscribe to an Annual plan and SAVE 16% - $99.99 CAD after trial ($8.33 CAD / Month for 12 months)

CANADA: Get Paramount+ with Prime Video Channels. 

Prime Video: 30-day free trial $9.99/month CAD after trial.

Paramount+ on Prime Video Channels: 7-day free trial $9.99/month CAD after trial (NO PROMO CODE AVAILABLE).

Prime Video Channels is the Prime benefit that lets you add channels you love with no long-term commitments. 

Only Prime members can subscribe to Paramount+ on Prime Video. Cancel anytime. 

Prime Video Channels 🍁 CA 🍁: https://www.primevideo.com/storefront/channels/?tag=frugalstreamr-20

UNITED STATES: Paramount Plus with Showtime $11.99 US / Month -or- $119.99 / Year (as of June 27, 2023)
UNITED STATES: Paramount Plus (Ad-Supported Essential without Showtime) $6.00 US / Month (as of June 27, 2023)

As mentioned earlier, apply promo code FATALATTRACTION at the checkout for your Paramount+ subscription and get 30 days FREE! Remember, this promo code good is only through August 1, 2023, and is not available for Paramount+ on Prime Video Channels.

This is our official Affiliate Link for Paramount Plus: https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/3656970/1001331/3065
You can also use our Official Short Link: https://cutt.ly/SOABParPlus

Editor's Note: Support us! Hey everyone, if you're planning on checking out Paramount+ or planning to subscribe to it anyway, please click on the affiliate links provided in this post! Subscribing through our affiliate links keeps the lights on here at @StreamOnABudget with continued development of our blog and our various multimedia projects including the StreamOnABudget Showcase FREE channel/app on Roku! We greatly appreciate you, and THANK YOU! -Georges Brunet, Chief Developer & Content Curator for the StreamOnABudget Showcase FREE channel on Roku, and Chief Editor of the @StreamOnABudget Blog.

###

Paramount+ is available on a wide range of devices, including Amazon FireTV, Amazon Firestick Lite, and more. Canadian shoppers looking for the latest generation of Amazon Fire TV Edition TVs and devices, buy one today on Amazon.ca and help support @StreamOnABudget.

Click here to subscribe to Paramount+ and start binge-watching your favorite CBS Originals TODAY! All NEW subscribers can try Paramount+ for FREE for 7 days! Apply promo code FATALATTRACTION in the checkout of your subscription order and get an extended free trial for 30 days!

Canadian shoppers looking for the latest generation of Roku TVs and devices, buy one today on Amazon.ca and help support @StreamOnABudget.

CBC Gem in Canada Embracing Free Streaming Channels for Local News and Comedy Shows

CBC is set to launch more free streaming channels including one dedicated to comedy and several focused on local news.

This Press Release was originally written by Cassandra Szklarski, published through The Canadian Press on Thursday, June 1, 2023, and is featured here in its entirety for the benefit of our Canadian readers who stream on a budget. Sources where this article appears are found at the end of this post. -Georges Brunet, Chief Editor of the @StreamOnABudget blog.

Andrew (Andrew Phung) and Camille (Rakhee Morzaria) are shown in a scene from the CBC sitcom “Run The Burbs.” THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Ian Watson

TORONTO - CBC announced plans Thursday to launch more free streaming channels including one dedicated to comedy and several focused on local news as it dives deeper into online options favoured by younger audiences.

While announcing its fall/winter lineup the public broadcaster said two ad-driven streamers will debut this fall with 2024 expected to see more free, ad-supported television, or FAST channels. They join CBC News Explore, which premiered last November to offer a deeper dive into current affairs and news topics.

CBC Comedy will offer a constant feed of CBC series, sketch comedy and standup specials including current episodes of “Run the Burbs,” “Son of a Critch” and “Sort Of,” as well as past seasons of defunct shows “Kim’s Convenience,” “Schitt’s Creek” and “Baroness Von Sketch Show.”

CBC News BC will stream local news from the West Coast and be the first of multiple local news streamers planned for connected TVs, the CBC News App and CBC Gem.

“We’re looking to launch a couple more that are more regionalized, localized and potentially over time, continue to launch more and more and more of those,” said CBC executive vice-president Barbara Williams.

“They’re pretty straightforward. They’re pretty easy to launch. The younger demo that doesn’t necessarily have a cable subscription still really enjoy the lean-back streaming experience and they’re discovering FAST channels of all types on their connected TVs and other devices.”

CBC announced the plans alongside its upcoming programming lineup for the main network and CBC Gem, much of which won’t land until winter 2024.

Additions set for the new year include the workplace comedy “One More Time” from comedian D.J. Demers, the police series “Allegiance,” the Vancouver-set procedural “Wild Cards,” and the reality competition “The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down.”

Williams said the lineup reflects a heavy investment in nurturing new talent and finding new voices.

“(We’re) constantly thinking about: ‘Whose voice are we not hearing from? What story are we missing? What story is not being told by the, maybe, traditional broadcasters? Who doesn’t have access to be able to tell their story?” she said.

New this fall are previously announced extended versions of two feature films, reimagined for the small screen: the five-part Indigenous residential school saga “Bones of Crows,” and three-part tech series “BlackBerry.”

They join returning fall series “Sort Of,” “This Hour Has 22 Minutes,” “Heartland,” “Murdoch Mysteries” and “SkyMed.”

“Run the Burbs” and “Son of A Critch” are set to return in winter 2024.

Returning reality fare this fall includes “Best in Miniature,” “Dragons’ Den,” “Family Feud Canada,” “The Great Canadian Baking Show” and “Still Standing,” with reality series set for 2024 including “Bollywed,” “Canada’s Ultimate Challenge,” “Push” and “Stuff the British Stole.”

New fall documentary series include “Black Life: Untold Stories” and “Swan Song,” billed as a character-driven series following Karen Kain’s final year with the National Ballet of Canada.

The winter doc lineup includes new series “For the Culture with Amanda Parris” in which the broadcaster hosts conversations that centre Blackness and “The Nature of Things,” which welcomes new hosts Sarika Cullis-Suzuki and Anthony Morgan.

The summer lineup includes third seasons of “Moonshine” and “Race Against the Tide,” both returning July 16.

Williams said the broadcaster is focused on ensuring audiences can find the best of CBC, no matter the platform, and to “have everything, everywhere.”

Over the past year, Canadians have streamed more than 34 million hours of content on CBC Gem, she said. More than half of those viewers watched on a connected television, such as a smart TV or one connected to a streaming device such as Apple TV or Roku.

“If people’s choice is, ‘I just want Gem,’ we want to be sure as much as possible that everything is there for them,” said Williams.

“If people just really want a cable subscription, we want to be sure that TV and (CBC) News Network is there for them and the Documentary Channel. If people really are just, ‘I’m only interested in mobile, just give me dot-ca and give me the news app,’ then guess what — you can find Explore on the (CBC) News app.”

New short-form series headed to CBC Gem this fall include six 10-minute episodes of “The Bannocking,” about a journalism student who returns home to uncover the truth about the abandoned residential school; eight episodes of the 15-minute “How to Fail as a Popstar,” an adaptation of Vivek Shraya’s hit play and book about “a young queer brown boy, growing up in Edmonton trying to achieve pop stardom;” and six 15-minute episodes of “I Hate People, People Hate Me,” billed as an offbeat comedy that explores queer identity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2023.

Sources where this article appears:

• https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2023/06/01/cbc-to-add-free-streaming-channels-for-local-news-comedy.html
• https://www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com/news/cbc-embracing-free-streaming-channels-for-local-news-comedy/
• https://www.lakelandtoday.ca/ontario-news/cbc-embracing-free-streaming-channels-for-local-news-comedy-7083825

###

CBC Gem is available on a wide range of devices, including Amazon FireTV, Amazon Firestick Lite, and more. Canadian shoppers looking for the latest generation of Amazon Fire TV Edition TVs and devices, buy one today on Amazon.ca and help support @StreamOnABudget.

CBC TV is now available on Roku in Canada (Search 'CBC TV' on your Roku TV or Roku device). CBC Gem is available on a wide range of devices, including Amazon FireTV, Amazon Firestick Lite, and more. Visit the official website help page for more info about compatible devices.

Canadian shoppers looking for the latest generation of Roku TVs and devices, buy one today on Amazon.ca and help support @StreamOnABudget.