Best credit cards to save money on sports, concerts, and more

Why we like it: The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is our overall pick for entertainment because of its flexibility. It earns a solid 3% cash back on entertainment purchases with no limit to the rewards you can earn, and features a far-reaching entertainment category. That includes everything from sporting events, concerts, and live theater to movie theaters, tourist attractions, and more. In addition to rewards on entertainment when you go out, you’ll earn the same unlimited 3% on popular streaming services, like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and more.

You can also use Capital One Entertainment and earn a boosted 8% cash back on purchases through the portal. Capital One Entertainment can help you gain access to exclusive events, VIP packages, seats just for cardholders, presales, on-site perks at eligible venues, and more.

Read our full review of the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Why we like it: If you prefer nights in over going out, the Blue Cash Preferred from American Express may be your top choice for saving on entertainment. It offers an unlimited 6% cash back on select streaming services. Eligible services include Apple TV+, Apple Music, Disney+, ESPN+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, MLB.TV, Paramount+, Peacock, SiriusXM, Spotify, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV, and more. Plus, you’ll save even more on Disney streaming with up to $120 in annual statement credits ($10 per month; subject to auto-renewal) toward a subscription or bundle on DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.ESPN.com.

You can also access American Express Experiences. This program offers cardholders reserved event seating and presales, exclusive concessions and merchandise when available, and access to experiences. Annual events with perks for Amex cardholders include Formula One Grand Prix, NBA and WNBA games, the U.S. Open tennis championship, Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals, and more. You can also enroll to get 10% back on qualifying concessions at American Express Venue Collection stadiums and arenas (up to $250 back per calendar year).

Read our full review of the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express.

Why we like it: The Platinum Card from American Express is, first and foremost, a great travel card, so it should be on your radar if you travel often to catch your favorite shows and events. However, there are also some specific benefits that can help you save on entertainment, including up to $240 back annually in digital entertainment credits. You’ll get up to $20 each month (with enrollment) as statement credits for eligible purchases with Disney+, Disney bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal.

With The Platinum Card, you’ll also have all the benefits of American Express Experiences. But this premium card gets you even more: Platinum cardmembers can access exclusive events in the Premium Events collection. These events occur throughout the year, but may include everything from a fashion show at New York Fashion Week to exclusive dining experiences, tickets to sold-out concerts, and more.

Read our full review of the Platinum Card from American Express.

Why we like it: The recently revamped Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with a few benefits that can help you save money on both event tickets and streaming. To start, get up to $250 each year toward Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscriptions (with enrollment) through June 22, 2027, for entertainment at home. You’ll also receive up to $300 annually ($150 credit from Jan. 1 through June 30 and another $150 from July 1 through Dec. 31, with activation through Dec. 31, 2027), for Stubhub ticket purchases. This benefit can help you save on ticket resale purchases through the site — whether you missed your favorite artist’s concert presale or want to pick up last-minute tickets for a hometown game.

As a luxury credit card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve can also help you gain access to some exclusive events and experiences. For example, you can buy tickets to an exclusive summer celebration with Apple TV+ at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures or play tennis with a pro during the U.S. Open. You’ll also get perks as a cardholder when you attend events at specific venues, like preferred seating, lounge access, merch discounts, dedicated entry with shorter lines, and more.

Read our full Chase Sapphire Reserve review.

Why we like it: Live entertainment is included in the Citi Custom Cash Card’s 5% rewards, which apply to your highest eligible spending category each billing cycle. That means up to $25 cash back in a billing cycle when you buy tickets to a concert or live sporting event, plus 1% cash back on any remaining spending after meeting the cap. Select streaming services are another eligible category, which can help you save on at-home entertainment (including Amazon Prime Video, Apple Music, Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix, Spotify, YouTube TV, and more) when you don’t buy tickets to an upcoming event.

Having a Citi Custom Cash Card can also get you access to Citi Entertainment. At eligible venues and sporting events, you can use your Citi card to access ticket presales, tickets reserved only for Citi cardholders, ticket discounts, and more.

The credit card you use to save on entertainment spending can be useful for other regular purchases you make. Each card on our list comes with a wide range of benefits and rewards you can use for your everyday spending and travel purchases. Here’s what else to look for to ensure you’re getting the maximum value for entertainment and more.

Credit cards for entertainment cover a wide range of annual fees, from no annual fee at all to some of the highest fees charged by premium rewards cards today. Before you apply, make sure the annual fee works for you. You should at least make back that cost in full each year from the card’s rewards and benefits.

Take the Chase Sapphire Reserve, for example, with a $795 annual fee. If you use this card solely to get up to $300 in annual credits for Stubhub purchases, you won’t gain much value at all. But when you account for all the other benefits — up to $300 in annual travel credits, airport lounge access, 8x points on Chase Travel purchases, and much more — you can easily make up the difference each year. Use your own spending habits and budget to decide if a card’s annual fee makes sense.

Related: Are credit cards with annual fees worth it?

The cards on our list offer rewards for entertainment spending, but don’t forget to look at the other rewards categories too.

Many cards with entertainment rewards offer additional cash back or points bonus rewards in categories like grocery store spending, dining out at restaurants, or gas station purchases. Others may focus more on travel rewards with bonus points on airfare, hotels, or car rentals. Compare these categories to your most frequent purchases to find the one that works best for your overall budget.

You’ll also want to look closely at the entertainment rewards category. Some issuers may only include specific entertainment purchases, such as select streaming services. Others are much broader, covering everything from theater tickets and sporting events to amusement parks.

Issuer benefits and offers

Some of the best credit cards for entertainment may not offer top rewards rates on entertainment spending. Instead, they have annual benefits and perks that can save you a lot of money on your entertainment spending each year.

Look for extra entertainment benefits available through your issuer’s rewards program too. American Express Experiences, Capital One Entertainment, Chase Experiences (and Reserved by Sapphire Experiences), Citi Entertainment, and others can help you score extra discounts and exclusive offers with your card. To take full advantage of these programs, check for new offers and see if you’re eligible for presales and exclusives before buying live event tickets.

But you should also remember that benefits are only valuable when you actually use them. The value of your card’s combined benefits may be worth hundreds of dollars per year, but if you don’t use them — or they’re not saving you money on purchases you would have made anyway — then you won’t get that maximum value.

A credit card for entertainment purchases is a great way to add long-term value to your wallet, but don’t forget about your new card’s sign-up bonus. A great welcome bonus can help you get even more from your card over the first year.

Check the spending requirement to earn a new card welcome offer before you apply. You may be able to earn a few hundred dollars in bonus cash back or as many as 100,000 bonus points in the first few months after opening an account.

Read more: Best credit card sign-up bonuses

The best way to decide whether a credit card for entertainment is right for you is by looking at your budget.

If you spend a lot of money each month on multiple streaming platforms and music subscriptions and go to live events at least a few times each year, you could save a lot of money by earning rewards or getting annual credits toward those purchases.

On the other hand, you may not need a credit card for entertainment if those expenses are not a priority. You may instead want to look for credit cards with better rewards on the purchases you make most — whether that’s airfare and hotels, groceries, eating out at restaurants, or something else. If your most frequent spending doesn’t fall into a common rewards category, you may even get the best value from a flat cash-back credit card that earns a standard 1.5%-2% back on every purchase.

Related: Which credit card is best for me? A guide to help you choose

Always consider your credit score before applying for a new credit card too. Many of the best cards for entertainment require a good to excellent credit score to qualify. If you’re still building credit or have a limited credit history, you may have a better chance of getting approved for a secured credit card or other credit card for beginners. Often, these cards also have some rewards and benefits you can use to save money while you build credit.

An annual fee may be worth it for streaming rewards if you get more value from your card each year than you pay for its annual fee. However, some top credit cards with streaming rewards have no annual fee, including the Citi Custom Cash Card.

The best way to find out which streaming services are included in your credit card’s streaming rewards category is by looking up the exact list of eligible providers from your credit card issuer. Many credit cards will specify that only “select” or “eligible” services qualify for the boosted rewards rate. Go to your issuer’s website or check within your card’s rewards and benefit terms for a full rundown of services.

Cards with a broad “entertainment” rewards category may offer bonus rewards on movie tickets, but it’s important to check that movie theaters qualify under your card’s terms. The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, for example, specifies that movie theater purchases do count toward the 3% entertainment category.

To find the best credit cards for entertainment, we searched for cards from major credit card issuers that offer either rewards on entertainment spending or annual credits toward entertainment purchases.

For our search, we kept our definition of entertainment broad — including not only live music and sporting events, but also at-home entertainment like streaming services or music subscriptions. This helped us identify a wider range of cards with varying types of rewards (cash-back rewards and travel rewards) and annual fees.

Some cards on our list, for example, are primarily travel cards that also offer annual credits toward entertainment purchases. But they can be just as valuable for entertainment as cards with bonus rewards, depending on your spending.

Our final list consists of cards that offer the best overall value for a wide range of consumers looking to save money on entertainment purchases. Just remember: The best card for you depends on your individual spending habits. Make sure you compare each option to your budget and the specific entertainment purchases you make so you can get the best value in the long term.

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