How To Stream Movies For Free In Western New York

If you’re like my Mama, you’ll constantly be telling your kids to “Get outside!” during their summer break. Just like my Mom, I believe sunshine is good for the body, mind, and soul, and enjoying that summer sun is a must-do activity while they’re home from school (just as long as you slather the sunscreen on them first!).

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But as we all know, Western New York summer weather doesn’t play nice sometimes. Even my Mom had to admit that nothing is worse than being stuck inside with the kids while it’s pouring buckets outside. So what was her number one solution?

“Let’s go to the movies!”

Can we be honest though? Going to the movies in 2022 is far from cheap. Between the crazy-expensive ticket prices and the absurdly priced candy, snacks, popcorn, and soda the kids will sure to be gorging on (not to mention the cost of a tank of gas to get there), going to the movies requires a huge chunk of change.

So what can a Buffalo family on a budget do to get their theatre fix without dropping a dime? Your local library has a solution.

The Buffalo and Erie County Public library recently started offering hoopla to its card-carrying patrons. Hoopla is a free streaming service that offers popular movies and TV shows you can “rent” from your local library at no charge. You can immediately check out a movie from your library’s website and instantly stream it on your device or through your smart TV without having to put it on hold. You can watch the movie as many times as you want for three days, and just like everything else at the library, it’s 100% free of charge. They have tons of classic, current, and kid-friendly movies and TV shows that both you and your kids would be into, along with popular audiobooks, e-books, and even music.

The one catch is that you’re only allowed to check out just five movies or TV shows per month - but hopefully, the kids will be spending more time outside this summer than in front of the TV anyway!

Buffalo Reddit was pretty pumped when the B&ECPL started offering this service: