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Crackle is an on-demand free streaming TV service produced by Chicken Soup for the Soul.
With a content mix that includes movies, TV series and some original programming, there is a pretty good selection of entertainment on this service in 2024.
And with Hollywood megastars like Brad Pitt, Jack Nicholson, Johnny Depp and Arnold Schwarzenegger starring in films that cycle through the service, there’s a great chance you’re going to find plenty of recognizable titles.
But is it worth adding to your streaming device as a source of free entertainment? I have reviewed Crackle’s service to help you make that determination.
This article was updated in February 2024 and I review it every six months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here.
For the purposes of this review, I downloaded Crackle on my Roku streaming device, Android phone and iOS tablet. I also accessed the web streaming version of the service on my computer. Here’s what I found out after some time with the free service.
Crackle is a free streaming service that offers on-demand movies and TV series. It also has a library of original content created for the service.
Crackle was purchased by Sony back in 2006 and for years carried the entertainment company’s name prominently, often referred to as “Sony Crackle.”
However, in March 2019, the controlling stake of the streaming service was sold to Chicken Soup for the Soul and Sony is no longer a major player with the service.
If you have a high-speed internet connection and a modern device to use on it, there’s a decent chance you can access Crackle from it. The service is available on computers, phones, tablets, streaming devices and some smart televisions.
Crackle doesn’t require you to sign up for an account to access the content. But if you do, can save your progress on a movie or show and tag shows as favorites to be watched at a later time.
The registration process is pretty simple, and the account is free. You just provide your name, email address, date of birth and gender. No phone numbers, home addresses or credit cards required.
Crackle is accessible on a variety of televisions, streaming devices, phones, tablets and computers.
If you have a smart TV, it is possible that Crackle will already appear as an app. The following smart TV brands partner with Crackle:
If you’re looking to watch the content on your television without one of the above devices, it’s likely that you’ll need a streaming device. Crackle is widely available on many of the popular devices on the market including:
If you’re looking to watch Crackle’s content from a phone or tablet, the service has an app available on the Google Play Store (for Android devices) and on the Apple App Store (for iOS devices).
You also can watch on your laptop or personal computer through the official website’s streaming player.
Crackle has an impressive library of on-demand movies as well as some recognizable TV series and original programming with big names attached to the projects.
While the content options tend to rotate often based on agreements with content producers, here’s a look at some of the more prominent streaming options available in each category.
You’ll often see names like Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson as stars in featured films.
Available movie titles rotate often, but here is a sampling of movies that were recently available:
Titles that have previously rotated through Crackle include “A Few Good Men,” “Zero Dark Thirty” and “The Karate Kid” series.
The television series selection on Crackle is not quite as extensive as the movie selection, but there are still some really well-known shows here. Some are a bit dated, but there are also some timeless classics. Ellen DeGeneres’ The Ellen Show is also available on Crackle.
Here’s a look at some of the popular TV series titles that were recently available:
Classics like “All in the Family,” “Bewitched,” “Sanford” and “Who’s the Boss?” are some titles that have been in rotation on Crackle in the past.
Crackle may not be the top free streaming option when it comes to children’s programming.
There is a handful of recognizable kid-friendly series available, but the volume is probably not enough to keep your kids occupied for any length of time.
Some of the options include:
Crackle does have an original content section in its library, which is a bonus for those of you who may be looking for something a little off the beaten path. As of March 2023, it offers 26 original television series and 20 original films.
There are some recognizable names attached to these projects. Kate Bosworth and Dennis Quaid star in a thriller series called “The Art of More,” and Jeremy Renner is the executive producer for a cyber-thriller film called “Throwaways.” Popular comedian Rob Riggle stars in a series titled “Rob Riggle’s Ski Master Academy.”
Ashton Kutcher is the executive producer of an original series about America’s student loan crisis called “Going from Broke,” here’s a look at Crackle’s promotion of that original content:
Crackle has a pretty easy-to-use platform, and the amount of advertisements line up with what you may expect from a free streaming TV service.
The number of commercials you’ll see on the service is typically fewer than what you’d expect to see while watching a similar piece of content on traditional television.
For example, I sat down to watch an episode of Redd Foxx’s sitcom “Sanford” to chart the ads. There were only four minutes of commercials for the episode meant for a half-hour TV time slot. On traditional television, there typically are eight minutes worth of ads per half hour. So that’s half the ads!
The commercials broke down like this:
A full-length movie has more commercial breaks, as you might expect. Here’s a look at the commercial break schedule for “Zero Dark Thirty,” which is a popular film that was once featured on the service.
You’re able to track your progress through a commercial break with a meter you’ll see in the bottom left corner of your screen. In the screenshot below, you can see there are 22 seconds remaining on what began as a two-minute commercial break.
Perhaps the worst part about the ads on a computer is that you’re not able to visit another tab on your screen while the commercial is running. The second you click to a new tab, Crackle automatically pauses the advertisement. That means you’re stuck watching the commercials all the way through if you want to continue with the content.
Crackle has a no-nonsense approach to the user interface. If you click on a piece of content, it takes you straight to an advertisement and then rolls you into the beginning of the movie or TV show.
Other free streaming services offer you the ability to read a synopsis of the content, check the rating and get other information prior to launching the content. You can still see all of that on Crackle, but you have to hunt for it a little. For example, on the web streaming option, you scroll down from the video, and all the relevant information is listed below.
The user experience is a little bit different on each Crackle platform. On the web, you’re basically looking at a TV and Movies section with each sorted alphabetically by default. They can be broken down into genres if desired, and the search bar is always present.
On the app for phones and streaming devices, you have genres broken down into categories (as pictured above). You also have tabs available for recently viewed content and content you have marked to watch later.
Has some of the available content caught your attention? If so, here are some tips for enjoying it on Crackle:
Still trying to decide whether or not you should add Crackle to your streaming portfolio? Here are some pros and cons to think over:
Pros | Cons |
FREE! | Ads run before content begins |
Good selection of on-demand content | Small content library for kids |
Original content from Hollywood stars | No live streaming TV options |
If you have decided to cut the cord or dump your subscription streaming services in the name of saving cash, I think Crackle has a place in your streaming life. With a mixture of popular movies and TV series as well as some original content, this widely available and completely free service is worth at least a trial run.
Do you have experience watching the Crackle streaming service? We’d love to hear your thoughts in our Clark.com community!
This post was last modified on February 23, 2024 3:31 pm
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