Looking for streaming deals? Try hitting the cancel button

Anyone who’s ever tried to cancel a cable subscription knows what comes next: a plea from the customer service rep for you to stay, typically sweetened by a steep discount. 

The last-ditch deals dangled by cable providers, gyms, and other subscription services are straight out of the customer-retention playbook, and the ploy is followed by the big video streamers too, from Disney+ and Paramount+ to Peacock and HBO Max. 

Earlier this month, Peacock subscribers on Reddit were...