Story highlights
- Consider streaming services for the TV or music buff on your list
- Get access to thousands of comics via Marvel Unlimited
- For the home chef, food delivery could an option
(CNN)If you're one of those people who waits until the last minute to purchase your holiday gifts, you no longer have to settle for the limited options available at your local pharmacy. Stuffed teddy bears, boxes of chocolates, discount gift cards — these are the last-minute gifts of yesterday.
In this age of streaming media and online shopping, the edifice of procrastinated gift-giving has changed. There is now a whole new set of gift options at your disposal: online subscription services.
Online subscription services range from content streaming to home delivery. They reflect our changing lifestyles while remaining practical, personal, and affordable — the hallmarks of any great gift.
And the best part? You won't even have to leave your house to purchase or deliver them.
For movie, TV & superhero fans
Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, HBO Now, FilmStruck. With their low subscription costs and instant access to hundreds of movies and TV shows, these streaming services represent the future of home entertainment.
This holiday season, consider gifting a subscription to one of them for somebody you care about who's still tied to the cable box. And if they already subscribe to one of these streaming services, there's no harm in subscribing them to another. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and HBO all have original series and other content exclusive to their platform. The more of them you subscribe to, the more titles you have available to watch.
If you'd rather avoid being responsible for fomenting a binge watching habit in your loved ones, there are other digital subscription options available. Have a niece or nephew who's obsessed with The Avengers? Sign them up for a month or even a year of Marvel Unlimited and they'll get access to thousands of comics featuring their favorite superheroes.
For music & book lovers
When you're reading or watching TV, it's hard to multitask. You can't drive to work or jog in the park with a screen in front of you. But these activities can be enhanced by listening to something. That's where audio subscriptions come in handy.
A subscription to a music streaming service virtually eliminates the risk that the recipient won't get anything out of your gift. With more than 30 million songs available, there's something for everybody to enjoy.