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.
What Can I Watch on Shout Factory TV?
Before we get into the content, let’s look at how Shout Factory TV works. There are three ways to watch Shout Factory TV:
- As a free, ad-supported on-demand streaming service through the Shout Factory TV app
- As a paid, ad-free streaming channel included with a monthly subscription from Roku Premium or Amazon Prime Video
- As a free, ad-supported 24/7 linear livestream channel through one of several other services (more on this in a moment)
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!
- Comcast Xfinity
- IMDb TV
- Pluto TV
- RedBox
- Samsung TV Plus
- STIRR
- Twitch (the 24/7 MST3K Twitch channel is also from Shout Factory TV)
- Vizio
- XUMO / LG Channel Plus
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.
Movies
- MST3K: Gamera
- Guns and Guitars
- Clive Barker’s Underworld
- Rifftrax: Samurai Cop
- Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Legacy of Blood
TV Shows
- The Tim Conway Show
- Hawkeye
- Ultraman Leo
- Super Sentai
- Dr. Ruth
What Devices Can I Use With Shout Factory TV?
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.
Streaming platforms and devices
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- Fire TV
- Roku
Mobile devices
- Android
- Fire (Amazon Fire phones and tablets)
Other
- In-browser app (Mac, Windows, and more)
- Select Blu-Ray and DVD players
- Select smart TVs
- TiVo
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.
How Much Does Shout Factory TV Cost?
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.
Deals on Shout Factory TV
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!
How to Get a Shout Factory TV Free Trial
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.
Shout Factory TV Contracts
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.
How to Cancel Shout Factory TV
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.
- Go to the manage your prime video channels page
- Under the “Your channels” section, find the Shout Factory TV entry and click “Cancel Channel(s)”
- Click the “Turn off auto-renew and watch until … “ button
For Roku Premium, follow these steps to cancel.
- Go to the Roku subscriptions page
- Find the Shout Factory TV entry and click “Cancel subscription”
- Select a reason and click “Continue 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.
Read More About Shout Factory TV
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.