MW Here's what's worth streaming in October 2025 on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and more

By Mike Murphy

The NBA takes a big leap into streaming, while viewers can cozy up to Netflix's 'Nobody Wants This' or freak out to the Halloween horror of 'Monster: The Ed Gein Story' and 'It: Welcome to Derry'

Adam Brody's Noah and Kristen Bell's Joanne get serious in Season 2 of Netflix's hit rom-com "Nobody Wants This."

In an otherwise slow month for streaming, it'll be sports fans who'll be feeling the pressure to add another service or two in October.

That's because there will now be nationally televised NBA games every week exclusive to Peacock and Amazon's Prime Video, in addition to a number of games exclusive to ESPN. It's yet another seismic change to an ever-shifting sports-broadcasting landscape, where fans are increasingly left wondering where to watch their favorite team's games any given night - and whether it's worth paying more every month to see every game. (Hint: It's not.)

Meanwhile, after a busy September, the major streamers have only a handful of big-name premieres coming up, including Netflix's "Nobody Wants This" and "Monster: The Ed Gein Story," as well as HBO Max's "It: Welcome to Derry" and Apple's "Loot."

Oh, and Disney is raising the prices for most of its streaming plans again, effective Oct. 21.

With all that, it'll take a bit of strategic churning - that is, adding and dropping services month to month - in order to watch the best of the best while keeping your monthly streaming budget around $50. Keep in mind that a billing cycle starts when you sign up, not necessarily at the beginning of the month. It's always worth watching out for time-sensitive deals and money-saving bundles, too.

Each month, this column offers tips on how to maximize your streaming and your budget - rating the major services as "play," "pause" or "stop," similar to investment analysts' traditional ratings of buy, hold and sell - and picks the best shows to help you make your monthly decisions.

Here's a look at what's coming to the various streaming services in October 2025, and what's really worth the monthly subscription fee:

Netflix ($7.99 a month for standard with ads, $17.99 standard with no ads, $24.99 premium with no ads)

Where to start with Netflix's latest loaded month? The most buzz will probably come from producer Ryan Murphy's latest, "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" (Oct. 3), starring Charlie Hunnam ("Sons of Anarchy") as the mid-century serial killer/grave robber whose horrific real-life exploits inspired countless horror movies - and nightmares. It looks seriously creepy.

On the much brighter side is Season 2 of the ultra-charming rom-com "Nobody Wants This" (Oct. 23), starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as an opposites-attract couple as they move past the cute, honeymoon phase and dive head-first into the challenges of a real relationship. It's a winner, helped in no small part by very funny supporting roles played by Justine Lupe ("Succession") and Timothy Simons ("Veep"). There's also the third season of the breezy yet gripping political drama "The Diplomat" (Oct. 16), starring Keri Russell as an in-over-her-head U.S. ambassador to Britain dealing with a scheming vice president (Allison Janney) and her equally duplicitous husband (Rufus Sewell). And Season 4 is already in the works.

Netflix $(NFLX)$ also has a new season of the dating show "Love Is Blind" (Oct. 1); "Boots" (Oct. 9), a dramedy series about a young, gay recruit in Marine boot camp; the true-crime doc "The Perfect Neighbor" (Oct. 17), assembled from police body-cam footage; a new season of the real-estate reality show "Selling Sunset" (Oct. 29); and Season 4 of the fantasy epic "The Witcher" (Oct. 30), with Liam Hemsworth taking over the starring role from Henry Cavil.

There's also "Steve" (Oct. 3), a movie starring Cillian Murphy as a devoted teacher at a boarding school as we follow him over one intense day; the baking special "Is It Cake? Halloween" (Oct. 8); "The Woman in Cabin 10" (Oct. 10), a murder-mystery movie set on a luxury yacht, starring Keira Knightley and Guy Pearce; Season 2 of the NBA docuseries "Starting 5" (Oct. 16); the baseball documentary "Who Killed the Montreal Expos?" (Oct. 21); the standup comedy special "Mo Amer: Wild World" (Oct. 28); and "A House of Dynamite" (Oct. 24), a "Fail-Safe"-like thriller movie from director Kathryn Bigelow ("Zero Dark Thirty") in which a single ICBM has been fired at the U.S., triggering a frantic race to find out who's responsible and how to respond while avoiding a nuclear apocalypse. The top-notch ensemble cast includes Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Anthony Ramos and Greta Lee.

Netflix is also adding both seasons of Paramount+'s sci-fi action series "Halo" (Oct. 1); Seasons 1 and 2 of the Hallmark Channel's hit time-travel romantic drama "The Way Home" (Oct. 1), with Season 3 coming in February and a new fourth season reportedly coming in late 2026; all seven seasons of Showtime's "Nurse Jackie" (Oct. 7); and Season 3 of AMC's excellent Navajo cop thriller "Dark Winds" (Oct. 27).

Play, pause or stop? Play. Netflix just has so much. And thankfully a lot of it is good. Recent additions to that category include the series-of-bad-decisions thriller "Black Rabbit," the Australian workplace comedy "Fisk," Stephen Knight's Irish beer-dynasty drama "House of Guinness" and the offbeat animated family comedy "Long Story Short."

Hulu ($11.99 a month with ads, or $18.99 with no ads)

After three price hikes in three years, Hulu isn't quite the bargain it once was. But even though prices for most plans are rising by $2 to $3 a month, subscribers still get a lot for a decent price.

This month brings Season 2 of the black comedy "Obituary" (Oct. 14), starring Siobhan Cullen as an obituary writer for a newspaper in a small Irish town who gets paid by the story - which leads to the realization that she can profit by knocking off the town's perceived miscreants. Season 1 was a revelation, dark and twisty and smartly written. If you were a fan of Apple's "Bad Sisters," check this one out.

Hulu also has the sixth and final season of the animated alien comedy "Solar Opposites" (Oct. 13); the standup comedy special "Frankie Quinones: Damn, That's Crazy" (Oct. 10); and "Murdaugh: Death in the Family" (Oct. 14), starring Jason Clarke and Patricia Arquette in the true-crime drama series based on the sensational South Carolina murder case that has spawned its own streaming industry.

There's also a reboot of the '90s domestic thriller "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" (Oct. 22), starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Maika Monroe; and a slew of ABC and Fox shows back for the fall season, including "Abbott Elementary" and "Shifting Gears" (both Oct. 2), and "9-1-1- Nashville" and "Grey's Anatomy" (both Oct. 10).

But the real draw are Hulu's returning shows, with weekly episodes of the still-cozy mystery series "Only Murders in the Building" (season finale Oct. 28), "The Lowdown" (see below) and the flat football comedy "Chad Powers" (season finale Oct. 28).

Watch this: Sterlin Harjo's latest, "The Lowdown" (season finale Nov. 4), is already one of the best shows of the year. The rollicking, noir-ish mystery stars Ethan Hawke as a dirtbag gonzo journalist uncovering a vast conspiracy, and feels like a mixed cocktail of equal parts "The Big Lebowski" and "The Long Goodbye" that's been left out in the Tulsa heat next to an ashtray. Do yourself a favor and watch; it's a lot of fun. The recently completed "Alien: Earth" is worth checking out too, though it's more hit and miss. Of its eight episodes, four were outstanding; it's just a bummer that the season ended with three of the ones that weren't.

Play, pause or stop? Play. It's worth it for "Only Murders in the Building" and "The Lowdown" alone, not to mention "Obituary." A solid network lineup and a deep library should seal the deal.

Apple TV+ ($12.99 a month)

"The Lost Bus," a thriller about a harrowing real-life escape from the flames of the devastating wildfire that burned the town of Paradise, Calif., in 2018, hit theaters in September and will start streaming Oct. 3. Starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera, and directed by Paul Greengrass ("The Bourne Supremacy"), it's gotten largely good reviews and should serve as pretty effective nightmare fuel.

Meanwhile, Maya Rudolph returns for Season 3 of the comedy "Loot" (Oct. 15), as the ex-wife of a billionaire who's now dedicated to giving away her fortune. It's uneven and not as funny as it should be, but still a nice watch. There's also "The Last Frontier" (Oct. 10), a thriller series starring Jason Clarke as a U.S. marshal tasked with hunting down dangerous fugitives whose prison transport plane has crashed in the Alaskan wilderness, and "Down Cemetery Road" (Oct. 29), a mystery series adapted from the novels by Mick Herron ("Slow Horses"), starring Ruth Wilson as a suburban woman who starts an obsessive hunt for her missing neighbor girl after an explosion, and Emma Thompson as a private investigator who helps her unravel a government coverup. Those three names give it instant watchability.

Apple $(AAPL)$ also has "Knife's Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars" (Oct. 10), a documentary about chefs striving to reach the pinnacle of fine dining; the documentary "Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost" (Oct. 24), about the legendary comedy couple Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, directed by their son, Ben Stiller; and "Mr. Scorsese" (Oct. 17), a documentary series about iconic filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

MW Here's what's worth streaming in October 2025 on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and more

By Mike Murphy

The NBA takes a big leap into streaming, while viewers can cozy up to Netflix's 'Nobody Wants This' or freak out to the Halloween horror of 'Monster: The Ed Gein Story' and 'It: Welcome to Derry'

Adam Brody's Noah and Kristen Bell's Joanne get serious in Season 2 of Netflix's hit rom-com "Nobody Wants This."

In an otherwise slow month for streaming, it'll be sports fans who'll be feeling the pressure to add another service or two in October.

That's because there will now be nationally televised NBA games every week exclusive to Peacock and Amazon's Prime Video, in addition to a number of games exclusive to ESPN. It's yet another seismic change to an ever-shifting sports-broadcasting landscape, where fans are increasingly left wondering where to watch their favorite team's games any given night - and whether it's worth paying more every month to see every game. (Hint: It's not.)

Meanwhile, after a busy September, the major streamers have only a handful of big-name premieres coming up, including Netflix's "Nobody Wants This" and "Monster: The Ed Gein Story," as well as HBO Max's "It: Welcome to Derry" and Apple's "Loot."

Oh, and Disney is raising the prices for most of its streaming plans again, effective Oct. 21.

With all that, it'll take a bit of strategic churning - that is, adding and dropping services month to month - in order to watch the best of the best while keeping your monthly streaming budget around $50. Keep in mind that a billing cycle starts when you sign up, not necessarily at the beginning of the month. It's always worth watching out for time-sensitive deals and money-saving bundles, too.

Each month, this column offers tips on how to maximize your streaming and your budget - rating the major services as "play," "pause" or "stop," similar to investment analysts' traditional ratings of buy, hold and sell - and picks the best shows to help you make your monthly decisions.

Here's a look at what's coming to the various streaming services in October 2025, and what's really worth the monthly subscription fee:

Netflix ($7.99 a month for standard with ads, $17.99 standard with no ads, $24.99 premium with no ads)

Where to start with Netflix's latest loaded month? The most buzz will probably come from producer Ryan Murphy's latest, "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" (Oct. 3), starring Charlie Hunnam ("Sons of Anarchy") as the mid-century serial killer/grave robber whose horrific real-life exploits inspired countless horror movies - and nightmares. It looks seriously creepy.

On the much brighter side is Season 2 of the ultra-charming rom-com "Nobody Wants This" (Oct. 23), starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as an opposites-attract couple as they move past the cute, honeymoon phase and dive head-first into the challenges of a real relationship. It's a winner, helped in no small part by very funny supporting roles played by Justine Lupe ("Succession") and Timothy Simons ("Veep"). There's also the third season of the breezy yet gripping political drama "The Diplomat" (Oct. 16), starring Keri Russell as an in-over-her-head U.S. ambassador to Britain dealing with a scheming vice president (Allison Janney) and her equally duplicitous husband (Rufus Sewell). And Season 4 is already in the works.

Netflix (NFLX) also has a new season of the dating show "Love Is Blind" (Oct. 1); "Boots" (Oct. 9), a dramedy series about a young, gay recruit in Marine boot camp; the true-crime doc "The Perfect Neighbor" (Oct. 17), assembled from police body-cam footage; a new season of the real-estate reality show "Selling Sunset" (Oct. 29); and Season 4 of the fantasy epic "The Witcher" (Oct. 30), with Liam Hemsworth taking over the starring role from Henry Cavil.

There's also "Steve" (Oct. 3), a movie starring Cillian Murphy as a devoted teacher at a boarding school as we follow him over one intense day; the baking special "Is It Cake? Halloween" (Oct. 8); "The Woman in Cabin 10" (Oct. 10), a murder-mystery movie set on a luxury yacht, starring Keira Knightley and Guy Pearce; Season 2 of the NBA docuseries "Starting 5" (Oct. 16); the baseball documentary "Who Killed the Montreal Expos?" (Oct. 21); the standup comedy special "Mo Amer: Wild World" (Oct. 28); and "A House of Dynamite" (Oct. 24), a "Fail-Safe"-like thriller movie from director Kathryn Bigelow ("Zero Dark Thirty") in which a single ICBM has been fired at the U.S., triggering a frantic race to find out who's responsible and how to respond while avoiding a nuclear apocalypse. The top-notch ensemble cast includes Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Anthony Ramos and Greta Lee.

Netflix is also adding both seasons of Paramount+'s sci-fi action series "Halo" (Oct. 1); Seasons 1 and 2 of the Hallmark Channel's hit time-travel romantic drama "The Way Home" (Oct. 1), with Season 3 coming in February and a new fourth season reportedly coming in late 2026; all seven seasons of Showtime's "Nurse Jackie" (Oct. 7); and Season 3 of AMC's excellent Navajo cop thriller "Dark Winds" (Oct. 27).

Play, pause or stop? Play. Netflix just has so much. And thankfully a lot of it is good. Recent additions to that category include the series-of-bad-decisions thriller "Black Rabbit," the Australian workplace comedy "Fisk," Stephen Knight's Irish beer-dynasty drama "House of Guinness" and the offbeat animated family comedy "Long Story Short."

Hulu ($11.99 a month with ads, or $18.99 with no ads)

After three price hikes in three years, Hulu isn't quite the bargain it once was. But even though prices for most plans are rising by $2 to $3 a month, subscribers still get a lot for a decent price.

This month brings Season 2 of the black comedy "Obituary" (Oct. 14), starring Siobhan Cullen as an obituary writer for a newspaper in a small Irish town who gets paid by the story - which leads to the realization that she can profit by knocking off the town's perceived miscreants. Season 1 was a revelation, dark and twisty and smartly written. If you were a fan of Apple's "Bad Sisters," check this one out.

Hulu also has the sixth and final season of the animated alien comedy "Solar Opposites" (Oct. 13); the standup comedy special "Frankie Quinones: Damn, That's Crazy" (Oct. 10); and "Murdaugh: Death in the Family" (Oct. 14), starring Jason Clarke and Patricia Arquette in the true-crime drama series based on the sensational South Carolina murder case that has spawned its own streaming industry.

There's also a reboot of the '90s domestic thriller "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" (Oct. 22), starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Maika Monroe; and a slew of ABC and Fox shows back for the fall season, including "Abbott Elementary" and "Shifting Gears" (both Oct. 2), and "9-1-1- Nashville" and "Grey's Anatomy" (both Oct. 10).

But the real draw are Hulu's returning shows, with weekly episodes of the still-cozy mystery series "Only Murders in the Building" (season finale Oct. 28), "The Lowdown" (see below) and the flat football comedy "Chad Powers" (season finale Oct. 28).

Watch this: Sterlin Harjo's latest, "The Lowdown" (season finale Nov. 4), is already one of the best shows of the year. The rollicking, noir-ish mystery stars Ethan Hawke as a dirtbag gonzo journalist uncovering a vast conspiracy, and feels like a mixed cocktail of equal parts "The Big Lebowski" and "The Long Goodbye" that's been left out in the Tulsa heat next to an ashtray. Do yourself a favor and watch; it's a lot of fun. The recently completed "Alien: Earth" is worth checking out too, though it's more hit and miss. Of its eight episodes, four were outstanding; it's just a bummer that the season ended with three of the ones that weren't.

Play, pause or stop? Play. It's worth it for "Only Murders in the Building" and "The Lowdown" alone, not to mention "Obituary." A solid network lineup and a deep library should seal the deal.

Apple TV+ ($12.99 a month)

"The Lost Bus," a thriller about a harrowing real-life escape from the flames of the devastating wildfire that burned the town of Paradise, Calif., in 2018, hit theaters in September and will start streaming Oct. 3. Starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera, and directed by Paul Greengrass ("The Bourne Supremacy"), it's gotten largely good reviews and should serve as pretty effective nightmare fuel.

Meanwhile, Maya Rudolph returns for Season 3 of the comedy "Loot" (Oct. 15), as the ex-wife of a billionaire who's now dedicated to giving away her fortune. It's uneven and not as funny as it should be, but still a nice watch. There's also "The Last Frontier" (Oct. 10), a thriller series starring Jason Clarke as a U.S. marshal tasked with hunting down dangerous fugitives whose prison transport plane has crashed in the Alaskan wilderness, and "Down Cemetery Road" (Oct. 29), a mystery series adapted from the novels by Mick Herron ("Slow Horses"), starring Ruth Wilson as a suburban woman who starts an obsessive hunt for her missing neighbor girl after an explosion, and Emma Thompson as a private investigator who helps her unravel a government coverup. Those three names give it instant watchability.

Apple (AAPL) also has "Knife's Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars" (Oct. 10), a documentary about chefs striving to reach the pinnacle of fine dining; the documentary "Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost" (Oct. 24), about the legendary comedy couple Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, directed by their son, Ben Stiller; and "Mr. Scorsese" (Oct. 17), a documentary series about iconic filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

MW Here's what's worth streaming in October 2025 -2-

Don't forget new episodes of the Seth Rogen-Rose Byrne comedy "Platonic" (season finale Oct. 1), the excellent dysfunctional-spy drama "Slow Horses" (season finale Oct. 29) and the ever-ridiculous "The Morning Show." Also, Season 3 of "Eugene Levy: The Reluctant Traveler" quietly dropped in September. And keep an eye out for "The Savant," the thriller series starring Jessica Chastain as an investigator who infiltrates online hate groups. It was supposed to premiere in September, but was abruptly pulled in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination. It's not known when - of even if - it'll debut now.

Play, pause or stop? Play. Expect "Down Cemetery Road" to join "Slow Horses" as must-sees. But there are a lot of other good shows here, including recent ones like the sci-fi epic "Foundation," Jason Momoa's Hawaiian historical drama "Chief of War" and the Emmy-winning comedy "The Studio."

HBO Max ($9.99 a month with ads, $16.99 with no ads, or $20.99 'Ultimate' with no ads)

Tim Robinson may be the cilantro of comedy. Either you love him in everything or you're wrong and you really, really don't. He may have his most ambitious project yet in "The Chair Company" (Oct. 12), an eight-episode comedy(?) about an unassuming office worker who uncovers a vast criminal conspiracy after an embarrassing incident at work. Robinson's brand of cringe was charming in "Detroiters" and meme-worthy in "I Think You Should Leave," but "The Chair Company" could push that cringe to its limits, even more so than the tough-to-watch movie "Friendship," which came out earlier this year. This show sounds like a great sketch; but can it really be drawn out for eight episodes? For better or worse, we're gonna find out, and either way it's gonna get weird.

The end of the month brings "It: Welcome to Derry" (Oct. 26), which is unfortunately not a "Derry Girls" sequel but an "It" prequel. Set in the scariest town in Maine in 1962, the horror series serves as an origin story for Pennywise, the killer clown, and will reportedly tie into the greater Stephen King expanded universe. If it can create anywhere near the buzz of the blockbuster "It" movies, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) execs will be very happy.

HBO Max also has the comedy/musical special "An Intimate Evening With Adam Pally" (Oct. 17); "The Alabama Solution" (Oct. 10), a documentary uncovering shocking abuse at a prison; the Ukraine war-journalist documentary "Armed Only With a Camera" (Oct. 21); and the rural healthcare documentary "Country Doctor" (Oct. 28). There are also a handful of new movies, including the orphan-horror flick "Bring Her Back" (Oct. 3); last year's Oscar-nominated Hollywood horror hit "The Substance" (Oct. 10), starring Demi Moore; and the grim indie drama "Sorry, Baby" (Oct. 30).

On the sports side, Max has MLB playoffs starting Oct. 3, Big 12 college football every Saturday, NASCAR races every Sunday, NHL hockey every Thursday starting Oct. 8, AEW wrestling, Savannah Bananas, and men's and women's U.S. soccer.

That's in addition to new episodes of the Emmy-winning "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," "Peacemaker" (season finale Oct. 9) and "Task" (finale Oct. 19). Of those last two, "Peacemaker" has finally stepped on the gas with a game-changing twist after a slow start to its second season, and "Task" - while dark and grim - may be the best-written and -acted show of the year, really a character study of a dozen or so people who just happen to be connected by a plot. It's outstanding storytelling that unfolds like a good book.

Play, pause or stop? Pause and think it over. "Task" and "Peacemaker" are great, but once those are done, it's a pretty light lineup. Though you could always catch up with shows like the Polish spy thriller "The Eastern Gate" the devastating docuseries "The Yogurt Shop Murders" (timely, as the 34-year-old cold case was apparently just solved), or finally jump on "The Pitt" bandwagon after its Emmy romp.

Amazon's Prime Video ($14.99 a month with ads, $8.99 without Prime membership, both +$2.99 to avoid ads)

It's another skippable month for Amazon's streaming service, though the live-sports offerings will tempt some viewers.

Amazon (AMZN) is now one of the homes of the NBA, and will tip off its coverage with a doubleheader Oct. 24, featuring Celtics vs. Knicks and Timberwolves vs. Lakers. Prime Video will have an exclusive slate of NBA games this season, typically on select Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and that'll include the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup in-season tournament. Amazon has also built a strong broadcasting crew, including play-by-play announcers Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan, game analyst Stan van Gundy and studio analysts like Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin and Dwayne Wade.

There are a few high-profile movies on the way too, including the heist thriller "Play Dirty" (Oct. 1), starring Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield; the rom-com "Maintenance Required" (Oct. 8), a spin on "You've Got Mail" taking place at an all-female auto-repair shop, starring Madelaine Petsch ("Riverdale"); the documentary "John Candy: I Like Me" (Oct. 10), directed by Colin Hanks; and the emotional drama "Hedda" (Oct. 29), a take on the Ibsen play, starring Tessa Thompson. The John Candy bio looks good; the rest... not so much.

There's also the murder-mystery series "Harlen Coben's Lazarus" (Oct. 22) and the sports documentaries "Saquon" (Oct. 9), about NFL running back Saquon Barkley, and "Allen Iv3rson" (Oct. 23), about the NBA Hall of Famer, and weekly episodes of the very explicit "The Boys" spinoff "Gen V" (season finale Oct. 22).

Prime Video also has NFL "Thursday Night Football" and NWSL matches every Friday.

Play, pause or stop? Pause. The lineup of shows is weak, but the addition of NBA games will tempt some viewers. It'll be an annoying extra expense, but perhaps worth it for hardcore hoops fans.

Paramount+ ($7.99 a month with ads, $12.99 a month Premium with no ads)

Forget autumn, it's once again Taylor Sheridan season, with new episodes of Season 3 of "Tulsa King" - arguably the lightest, most fun series in the Sheridan milieu - and the start of the fourth season of "Mayor of Kingstown" (Oct. 26), the gritty and violent crime drama starring Jeremy Renner as a power broker in a small town dominated by its prison. Edie Falco joins the cast as the prison's new warden, and the new nemesis of Renner's character. Stay tuned for more testosterone-fueled melodrama, as "Landman" will be back in November.

Paramount $(PSKY)$ also has "Vicious" (Oct. 19), a horror movie starring Dakota Fanning; "Ozzy: No Escape From Now" (Oct. 7), a documentary about the late rock legend Ozzy Osbourne; and "Red Alert" (Oct. 7), a four-part dramatization of the bloody 2023 Hamas attack against Israel, based on survivors' stories.

CBS is also kicking off its fall season, so look for premieres of hit shows like "Matlock" (Oct. 12), "Elsbeth" (Oct. 12), "Fire Country" (Oct. 17) and "Tracker" (Oct 19), along with new shows like the "Fire Country" spinoff "Sheriff Country" (Oct. 17), the "Blue Bloods" spinoff "Boston Blue" (Oct. 17), the workplace sitcom "DMV" (Oct. 13) the country music competition series "The Road" (Oct. 19), along with new episodes of "Survivor," "The Amazing Race" and Comedy Central's "South Park" (returning Oct. 15).

There's also a full slate of live sports, with the NFL every Sunday, college football every Saturday, and a ton of soccer, including UEFA Champions League, EFL, Serie A, NWSL and Concacaf World Cup qualifying.

Play, pause or stop? Stop. This month has quantity but not necessarily quality. Feel free to skip, unless you're a diehard football or soccer fan.

Peacock ($10.99 a month with ads, or $16.99 with no ads)

Live sports are arguably Peacock's biggest draw, and that'll become even more so under the NBA's new broadcast deal, which will see a ton of games on NBC and Peacock, starting Oct. 21. It's the first time NBC has had the NBA since 2002, and yes, John Tesh's classic theme song "Roundball Rock" is also returning. Peacock will simulcast Comcast $(CMCSA)$ sibling NBC's Tuesday night games, but will have exclusive streaming games on Mondays, tipping off with a Cavaliers-Pistons and Nuggets-Timberwolves doubleheader on Oct. 27. The NBC broadcast team includes Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle on play-by-play, game analysts such as Reggie Miller, Grant Hill and Brian Scalabrine, and studio analysts including Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and special contributor Michael Jordan.

There's not much else on Peacock though. The best bets are the comedy/mystery movie "Honey Don't!" (Oct 3), starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza and Chris Evans, and the live-action version of "How to Train Your Dragon" (Oct. 10), along with weekly episodes of NBC and cable shows like "Chicago Fire," "Law & Order," "The Rainmaker," "Real Housewives," "Saturday Night Live" and "The Voice." You can also catch up with "The Office" spinoff "The Paper," though it's pretty uninspired.

Besides the NBA, Peacock also has NFL "Sunday Night Football," a full slate of English Premier League soccer, Big Ten and Notre Dame college football, and motorsports.

Play, pause or stop? Stop. If you can live without the live sports, there's not much else. (And if you have to pick, Amazon has the better NBA schedule.)

Disney+ ($11.99 a month with ads, $18.99 with no ads)

Disney $(DIS)$ is hiking prices on most of its plans by $2 to $3 a month, but there's nothing in October to justify that.

The meager lineup includes weekly live episodes of "Dancing With the Stars"; the Dutch rom-com movie "The Balloonist" (Oct. 3); assorted kids programming like Season 2 of "Wizards Beyond Waverly Place" (Oct. 8), the live-action tween comedy "Vampirina: Teenage Vampire" (Oct. 15) and "Lego Frozen: Operation Puffins" (Oct. 24); Season 3 of the anime series "Star Wars: Visions" (Oct. 29); and the anime fantasy "Twisted Wonderland: The Animation" (Oct. 29).

MW Here's what's worth streaming in October 2025 on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and more

By Mike Murphy

The NBA takes a big leap into streaming, while viewers can cozy up to Netflix's 'Nobody Wants This' or freak out to the Halloween horror of 'Monster: The Ed Gein Story' and 'It: Welcome to Derry'

Adam Brody's Noah and Kristen Bell's Joanne get serious in Season 2 of Netflix's hit rom-com "Nobody Wants This."

In an otherwise slow month for streaming, it'll be sports fans who'll be feeling the pressure to add another service or two in October.

That's because there will now be nationally televised NBA games every week exclusive to Peacock and Amazon's Prime Video, in addition to a number of games exclusive to ESPN. It's yet another seismic change to an ever-shifting sports-broadcasting landscape, where fans are increasingly left wondering where to watch their favorite team's games any given night - and whether it's worth paying more every month to see every game. (Hint: It's not.)

Meanwhile, after a busy September, the major streamers have only a handful of big-name premieres coming up, including Netflix's "Nobody Wants This" and "Monster: The Ed Gein Story," as well as HBO Max's "It: Welcome to Derry" and Apple's "Loot."

Oh, and Disney is raising the prices for most of its streaming plans again, effective Oct. 21.

With all that, it'll take a bit of strategic churning - that is, adding and dropping services month to month - in order to watch the best of the best while keeping your monthly streaming budget around $50. Keep in mind that a billing cycle starts when you sign up, not necessarily at the beginning of the month. It's always worth watching out for time-sensitive deals and money-saving bundles, too.

Each month, this column offers tips on how to maximize your streaming and your budget - rating the major services as "play," "pause" or "stop," similar to investment analysts' traditional ratings of buy, hold and sell - and picks the best shows to help you make your monthly decisions.

Here's a look at what's coming to the various streaming services in October 2025, and what's really worth the monthly subscription fee:

Netflix ($7.99 a month for standard with ads, $17.99 standard with no ads, $24.99 premium with no ads)

Where to start with Netflix's latest loaded month? The most buzz will probably come from producer Ryan Murphy's latest, "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" (Oct. 3), starring Charlie Hunnam ("Sons of Anarchy") as the mid-century serial killer/grave robber whose horrific real-life exploits inspired countless horror movies - and nightmares. It looks seriously creepy.

On the much brighter side is Season 2 of the ultra-charming rom-com "Nobody Wants This" (Oct. 23), starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as an opposites-attract couple as they move past the cute, honeymoon phase and dive head-first into the challenges of a real relationship. It's a winner, helped in no small part by very funny supporting roles played by Justine Lupe ("Succession") and Timothy Simons ("Veep"). There's also the third season of the breezy yet gripping political drama "The Diplomat" (Oct. 16), starring Keri Russell as an in-over-her-head U.S. ambassador to Britain dealing with a scheming vice president (Allison Janney) and her equally duplicitous husband (Rufus Sewell). And Season 4 is already in the works.

Netflix (NFLX) also has a new season of the dating show "Love Is Blind" (Oct. 1); "Boots" (Oct. 9), a dramedy series about a young, gay recruit in Marine boot camp; the true-crime doc "The Perfect Neighbor" (Oct. 17), assembled from police body-cam footage; a new season of the real-estate reality show "Selling Sunset" (Oct. 29); and Season 4 of the fantasy epic "The Witcher" (Oct. 30), with Liam Hemsworth taking over the starring role from Henry Cavil.

There's also "Steve" (Oct. 3), a movie starring Cillian Murphy as a devoted teacher at a boarding school as we follow him over one intense day; the baking special "Is It Cake? Halloween" (Oct. 8); "The Woman in Cabin 10" (Oct. 10), a murder-mystery movie set on a luxury yacht, starring Keira Knightley and Guy Pearce; Season 2 of the NBA docuseries "Starting 5" (Oct. 16); the baseball documentary "Who Killed the Montreal Expos?" (Oct. 21); the standup comedy special "Mo Amer: Wild World" (Oct. 28); and "A House of Dynamite" (Oct. 24), a "Fail-Safe"-like thriller movie from director Kathryn Bigelow ("Zero Dark Thirty") in which a single ICBM has been fired at the U.S., triggering a frantic race to find out who's responsible and how to respond while avoiding a nuclear apocalypse. The top-notch ensemble cast includes Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Anthony Ramos and Greta Lee.

Netflix is also adding both seasons of Paramount+'s sci-fi action series "Halo" (Oct. 1); Seasons 1 and 2 of the Hallmark Channel's hit time-travel romantic drama "The Way Home" (Oct. 1), with Season 3 coming in February and a new fourth season reportedly coming in late 2026; all seven seasons of Showtime's "Nurse Jackie" (Oct. 7); and Season 3 of AMC's excellent Navajo cop thriller "Dark Winds" (Oct. 27).

Play, pause or stop? Play. Netflix just has so much. And thankfully a lot of it is good. Recent additions to that category include the series-of-bad-decisions thriller "Black Rabbit," the Australian workplace comedy "Fisk," Stephen Knight's Irish beer-dynasty drama "House of Guinness" and the offbeat animated family comedy "Long Story Short."

Hulu ($11.99 a month with ads, or $18.99 with no ads)

After three price hikes in three years, Hulu isn't quite the bargain it once was. But even though prices for most plans are rising by $2 to $3 a month, subscribers still get a lot for a decent price.

This month brings Season 2 of the black comedy "Obituary" (Oct. 14), starring Siobhan Cullen as an obituary writer for a newspaper in a small Irish town who gets paid by the story - which leads to the realization that she can profit by knocking off the town's perceived miscreants. Season 1 was a revelation, dark and twisty and smartly written. If you were a fan of Apple's "Bad Sisters," check this one out.

Hulu also has the sixth and final season of the animated alien comedy "Solar Opposites" (Oct. 13); the standup comedy special "Frankie Quinones: Damn, That's Crazy" (Oct. 10); and "Murdaugh: Death in the Family" (Oct. 14), starring Jason Clarke and Patricia Arquette in the true-crime drama series based on the sensational South Carolina murder case that has spawned its own streaming industry.

There's also a reboot of the '90s domestic thriller "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" (Oct. 22), starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Maika Monroe; and a slew of ABC and Fox shows back for the fall season, including "Abbott Elementary" and "Shifting Gears" (both Oct. 2), and "9-1-1- Nashville" and "Grey's Anatomy" (both Oct. 10).

But the real draw are Hulu's returning shows, with weekly episodes of the still-cozy mystery series "Only Murders in the Building" (season finale Oct. 28), "The Lowdown" (see below) and the flat football comedy "Chad Powers" (season finale Oct. 28).

Watch this: Sterlin Harjo's latest, "The Lowdown" (season finale Nov. 4), is already one of the best shows of the year. The rollicking, noir-ish mystery stars Ethan Hawke as a dirtbag gonzo journalist uncovering a vast conspiracy, and feels like a mixed cocktail of equal parts "The Big Lebowski" and "The Long Goodbye" that's been left out in the Tulsa heat next to an ashtray. Do yourself a favor and watch; it's a lot of fun. The recently completed "Alien: Earth" is worth checking out too, though it's more hit and miss. Of its eight episodes, four were outstanding; it's just a bummer that the season ended with three of the ones that weren't.

Play, pause or stop? Play. It's worth it for "Only Murders in the Building" and "The Lowdown" alone, not to mention "Obituary." A solid network lineup and a deep library should seal the deal.

Apple TV+ ($12.99 a month)

"The Lost Bus," a thriller about a harrowing real-life escape from the flames of the devastating wildfire that burned the town of Paradise, Calif., in 2018, hit theaters in September and will start streaming Oct. 3. Starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera, and directed by Paul Greengrass ("The Bourne Supremacy"), it's gotten largely good reviews and should serve as pretty effective nightmare fuel.

Meanwhile, Maya Rudolph returns for Season 3 of the comedy "Loot" (Oct. 15), as the ex-wife of a billionaire who's now dedicated to giving away her fortune. It's uneven and not as funny as it should be, but still a nice watch. There's also "The Last Frontier" (Oct. 10), a thriller series starring Jason Clarke as a U.S. marshal tasked with hunting down dangerous fugitives whose prison transport plane has crashed in the Alaskan wilderness, and "Down Cemetery Road" (Oct. 29), a mystery series adapted from the novels by Mick Herron ("Slow Horses"), starring Ruth Wilson as a suburban woman who starts an obsessive hunt for her missing neighbor girl after an explosion, and Emma Thompson as a private investigator who helps her unravel a government coverup. Those three names give it instant watchability.

Apple (AAPL) also has "Knife's Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars" (Oct. 10), a documentary about chefs striving to reach the pinnacle of fine dining; the documentary "Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost" (Oct. 24), about the legendary comedy couple Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, directed by their son, Ben Stiller; and "Mr. Scorsese" (Oct. 17), a documentary series about iconic filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

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MW Here's what's worth streaming in October 2025 -2-

Don't forget new episodes of the Seth Rogen-Rose Byrne comedy "Platonic" (season finale Oct. 1), the excellent dysfunctional-spy drama "Slow Horses" (season finale Oct. 29) and the ever-ridiculous "The Morning Show." Also, Season 3 of "Eugene Levy: The Reluctant Traveler" quietly dropped in September. And keep an eye out for "The Savant," the thriller series starring Jessica Chastain as an investigator who infiltrates online hate groups. It was supposed to premiere in September, but was abruptly pulled in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination. It's not known when - of even if - it'll debut now.

Play, pause or stop? Play. Expect "Down Cemetery Road" to join "Slow Horses" as must-sees. But there are a lot of other good shows here, including recent ones like the sci-fi epic "Foundation," Jason Momoa's Hawaiian historical drama "Chief of War" and the Emmy-winning comedy "The Studio."

HBO Max ($9.99 a month with ads, $16.99 with no ads, or $20.99 'Ultimate' with no ads)

Tim Robinson may be the cilantro of comedy. Either you love him in everything or you're wrong and you really, really don't. He may have his most ambitious project yet in "The Chair Company" (Oct. 12), an eight-episode comedy(?) about an unassuming office worker who uncovers a vast criminal conspiracy after an embarrassing incident at work. Robinson's brand of cringe was charming in "Detroiters" and meme-worthy in "I Think You Should Leave," but "The Chair Company" could push that cringe to its limits, even more so than the tough-to-watch movie "Friendship," which came out earlier this year. This show sounds like a great sketch; but can it really be drawn out for eight episodes? For better or worse, we're gonna find out, and either way it's gonna get weird.

The end of the month brings "It: Welcome to Derry" (Oct. 26), which is unfortunately not a "Derry Girls" sequel but an "It" prequel. Set in the scariest town in Maine in 1962, the horror series serves as an origin story for Pennywise, the killer clown, and will reportedly tie into the greater Stephen King expanded universe. If it can create anywhere near the buzz of the blockbuster "It" movies, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) execs will be very happy.

HBO Max also has the comedy/musical special "An Intimate Evening With Adam Pally" (Oct. 17); "The Alabama Solution" (Oct. 10), a documentary uncovering shocking abuse at a prison; the Ukraine war-journalist documentary "Armed Only With a Camera" (Oct. 21); and the rural healthcare documentary "Country Doctor" (Oct. 28). There are also a handful of new movies, including the orphan-horror flick "Bring Her Back" (Oct. 3); last year's Oscar-nominated Hollywood horror hit "The Substance" (Oct. 10), starring Demi Moore; and the grim indie drama "Sorry, Baby" (Oct. 30).

On the sports side, Max has MLB playoffs starting Oct. 3, Big 12 college football every Saturday, NASCAR races every Sunday, NHL hockey every Thursday starting Oct. 8, AEW wrestling, Savannah Bananas, and men's and women's U.S. soccer.

That's in addition to new episodes of the Emmy-winning "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," "Peacemaker" (season finale Oct. 9) and "Task" (finale Oct. 19). Of those last two, "Peacemaker" has finally stepped on the gas with a game-changing twist after a slow start to its second season, and "Task" - while dark and grim - may be the best-written and -acted show of the year, really a character study of a dozen or so people who just happen to be connected by a plot. It's outstanding storytelling that unfolds like a good book.

Play, pause or stop? Pause and think it over. "Task" and "Peacemaker" are great, but once those are done, it's a pretty light lineup. Though you could always catch up with shows like the Polish spy thriller "The Eastern Gate" the devastating docuseries "The Yogurt Shop Murders" (timely, as the 34-year-old cold case was apparently just solved), or finally jump on "The Pitt" bandwagon after its Emmy romp.

Amazon's Prime Video ($14.99 a month with ads, $8.99 without Prime membership, both +$2.99 to avoid ads)

It's another skippable month for Amazon's streaming service, though the live-sports offerings will tempt some viewers.

Amazon (AMZN) is now one of the homes of the NBA, and will tip off its coverage with a doubleheader Oct. 24, featuring Celtics vs. Knicks and Timberwolves vs. Lakers. Prime Video will have an exclusive slate of NBA games this season, typically on select Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and that'll include the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup in-season tournament. Amazon has also built a strong broadcasting crew, including play-by-play announcers Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan, game analyst Stan van Gundy and studio analysts like Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin and Dwayne Wade.

There are a few high-profile movies on the way too, including the heist thriller "Play Dirty" (Oct. 1), starring Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield; the rom-com "Maintenance Required" (Oct. 8), a spin on "You've Got Mail" taking place at an all-female auto-repair shop, starring Madelaine Petsch ("Riverdale"); the documentary "John Candy: I Like Me" (Oct. 10), directed by Colin Hanks; and the emotional drama "Hedda" (Oct. 29), a take on the Ibsen play, starring Tessa Thompson. The John Candy bio looks good; the rest... not so much.

There's also the murder-mystery series "Harlen Coben's Lazarus" (Oct. 22) and the sports documentaries "Saquon" (Oct. 9), about NFL running back Saquon Barkley, and "Allen Iv3rson" (Oct. 23), about the NBA Hall of Famer, and weekly episodes of the very explicit "The Boys" spinoff "Gen V" (season finale Oct. 22).

Prime Video also has NFL "Thursday Night Football" and NWSL matches every Friday.

Play, pause or stop? Pause. The lineup of shows is weak, but the addition of NBA games will tempt some viewers. It'll be an annoying extra expense, but perhaps worth it for hardcore hoops fans.

Paramount+ ($7.99 a month with ads, $12.99 a month Premium with no ads)

Forget autumn, it's once again Taylor Sheridan season, with new episodes of Season 3 of "Tulsa King" - arguably the lightest, most fun series in the Sheridan milieu - and the start of the fourth season of "Mayor of Kingstown" (Oct. 26), the gritty and violent crime drama starring Jeremy Renner as a power broker in a small town dominated by its prison. Edie Falco joins the cast as the prison's new warden, and the new nemesis of Renner's character. Stay tuned for more testosterone-fueled melodrama, as "Landman" will be back in November.

Paramount (PSKY) also has "Vicious" (Oct. 19), a horror movie starring Dakota Fanning; "Ozzy: No Escape From Now" (Oct. 7), a documentary about the late rock legend Ozzy Osbourne; and "Red Alert" (Oct. 7), a four-part dramatization of the bloody 2023 Hamas attack against Israel, based on survivors' stories.

CBS is also kicking off its fall season, so look for premieres of hit shows like "Matlock" (Oct. 12), "Elsbeth" (Oct. 12), "Fire Country" (Oct. 17) and "Tracker" (Oct 19), along with new shows like the "Fire Country" spinoff "Sheriff Country" (Oct. 17), the "Blue Bloods" spinoff "Boston Blue" (Oct. 17), the workplace sitcom "DMV" (Oct. 13) the country music competition series "The Road" (Oct. 19), along with new episodes of "Survivor," "The Amazing Race" and Comedy Central's "South Park" (returning Oct. 15).

There's also a full slate of live sports, with the NFL every Sunday, college football every Saturday, and a ton of soccer, including UEFA Champions League, EFL, Serie A, NWSL and Concacaf World Cup qualifying.

Play, pause or stop? Stop. This month has quantity but not necessarily quality. Feel free to skip, unless you're a diehard football or soccer fan.

Peacock ($10.99 a month with ads, or $16.99 with no ads)

Live sports are arguably Peacock's biggest draw, and that'll become even more so under the NBA's new broadcast deal, which will see a ton of games on NBC and Peacock, starting Oct. 21. It's the first time NBC has had the NBA since 2002, and yes, John Tesh's classic theme song "Roundball Rock" is also returning. Peacock will simulcast Comcast (CMCSA) sibling NBC's Tuesday night games, but will have exclusive streaming games on Mondays, tipping off with a Cavaliers-Pistons and Nuggets-Timberwolves doubleheader on Oct. 27. The NBC broadcast team includes Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle on play-by-play, game analysts such as Reggie Miller, Grant Hill and Brian Scalabrine, and studio analysts including Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and special contributor Michael Jordan.

There's not much else on Peacock though. The best bets are the comedy/mystery movie "Honey Don't!" (Oct 3), starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza and Chris Evans, and the live-action version of "How to Train Your Dragon" (Oct. 10), along with weekly episodes of NBC and cable shows like "Chicago Fire," "Law & Order," "The Rainmaker," "Real Housewives," "Saturday Night Live" and "The Voice." You can also catch up with "The Office" spinoff "The Paper," though it's pretty uninspired.

Besides the NBA, Peacock also has NFL "Sunday Night Football," a full slate of English Premier League soccer, Big Ten and Notre Dame college football, and motorsports.

Play, pause or stop? Stop. If you can live without the live sports, there's not much else. (And if you have to pick, Amazon has the better NBA schedule.)

Disney+ ($11.99 a month with ads, $18.99 with no ads)

Disney (DIS) is hiking prices on most of its plans by $2 to $3 a month, but there's nothing in October to justify that.

The meager lineup includes weekly live episodes of "Dancing With the Stars"; the Dutch rom-com movie "The Balloonist" (Oct. 3); assorted kids programming like Season 2 of "Wizards Beyond Waverly Place" (Oct. 8), the live-action tween comedy "Vampirina: Teenage Vampire" (Oct. 15) and "Lego Frozen: Operation Puffins" (Oct. 24); Season 3 of the anime series "Star Wars: Visions" (Oct. 29); and the anime fantasy "Twisted Wonderland: The Animation" (Oct. 29).

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September 30, 2025 10:00 ET (14:00 GMT)

MW Here's what's worth streaming in October 2025 -3-

There are also ABC, Hulu, ESPN and cable offerings to round out the schedule, including the Korean historical drama "The Murky Stream" (Oct. 2), NWSL soccer, ESPN's College GameDay on Saturdays, and three seasons of Food Network's "Halloween Baking Championship" (Oct. 11).

Play, pause or stop? Stop. It's a weak schedule. There's no reason to pay more simply out of habit.

Need more? Catch up on previous months' picks at What's Worth Streaming.

-Mike Murphy

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

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September 30, 2025 10:00 ET (14:00 GMT)

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