What could be better than a little Netflix and chill? How about Netflix and cash?

We’re talking about real, legitimate ways to get paid for watching movies, TV shows and other types of video clips. Seriously – you can earn cash just for spending time on sites and apps watching videos.

Getting paid to watch movies is one of those rare things in life that actually isn’t too good to be true.

There are a lot of great ways to make money online and some of them are more passive than others. You could answer surveys online for money but there is some mental energy involved.

Watching movies, on the other hand, is completely passive. You don’t even really have to watch – you just have to let the movie play in the background even if it’s muted.

So, if you’re ready to start counting the dollars your rack up just for watching movies – keep reading.

How to Get Paid to Watch Movies

There are a surprising number of sites that allow you to get paid to watch movies.

These are the top 5 sites (out of several we tested) that pay users to watch movies.

1. InboxDollars

When you sign up to get paid to watch movies at InboxDollars, you’ll get a $5 bonus! Once you’ve confirmed your account, you can see a list of videos to watch.

There are all kinds of videos, including movie previews, TV shows, news clips, health, cooking, and tech-related videos. You can see how much the videos earn before you start watching.

In order to earn money, you’ll be required to watch all of the videos in a playlist. You’ll be able to see how long the running time for each playlist is though before you start watching.

There are several other ways to earn money with InboxDollars, including doing internet searches, reading emails, taking surveys, shopping, and playing games.

Unlike many similar sites, you earn cash with InboxDollars, not points that then have to be converted to cash or gift cards.

To cash out, you need a minimum of $30. You can choose to be paid via paper check, ePayment, or pre-paid debit card.

Sign up for InboxDollars now to claim your free $5 and start earning today. You can earn up to $225 a month!

2. Swagbucks

You can watch all kinds of content on Swagbucks, including sports, various types of tutorials, news, cooking and more. For every video you watch, you’ll earn points, called Swagbucks. At the end of each video, you’ll rate it by giving it a thumbs up or thumbs down.

If TV is more your thing, you can download the Swagbucks TV app. The app continuously plays until you click out of the app, so you can let it run earning you points while you wash dishes or work out, or whatever activities you do in your day.

You can also earn points for answering surveys, shopping online, doing internet searches, and more. The points can be redeemed for cash via PayPal or gift cards from retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and more. PayPal transfers are in denominations starting at $25, and gift cards start in denominations of just $1. You can read our full Swagbucks review here.

Swagbucks has a signup bonus as well. Sign up for your $5 bonus with Swagbucks.

3. MyPoints

If you want to get paid to watch movies with MyPoints, you can only do so from your desktop. If you prefer to watch via an app, you have to use the app MyPoints TV. You can also earn points taking surveys, playing games, reading emails, and printing coupons. For each completed task, you earn points.

There is a minimum cash out of $25, and you can be paid in cash via PayPal or with gift cards from companies including Amazon, Best Buy, and American Airlines.

Sign up for Mypoints now to get a $10 Amazon gift card bonus and get paid to watch movies.

4. Netflix

Openings for this position aren’t always open, but from time to time, you can find a job with Netflix watching Netflix. The company hires editorial or creative analysts to watch Netflix content and tag the movies and TV episodes with relevant metadata. The data help Netflix make appropriate recommendations to viewers.

You can search Netflix job listings and look for openings for an editorial analyst or creative analyst.

You can also slyly cheat the system by playing movies on any of the sites we’ve listed, muting your device, and watching Netflix on your TV instead of paying attention to the videos.

Check out the Netflix job board.

5. Nielsen Mobile and Computer Panel

All you have to do to get paid to watch movies using the Nielsen Mobile and Computer Panel is download it onto your internet-connected devices. The app collects anonymous information about your internet usage.

When you register at least one device, you’ll be entered into a monthly sweepstake drawing for $10,000 that is split amongst 400 winners, the two top winners each receiving $1,000. For registering one or more mobile devices, you will receive up to $50 a year.

Start earning up to $50 a year in passive income now with Nielsen Mobile and Computer Panel.

How Much Money Can You Earn Watching Movies?

Like a lot of side hustles out there, you aren’t going to pay your rent watching movies – but you can make a few hundred extra dollars a year in cash or gift cards. Given the fact that you can make up to $50 per year just with Nielsen (much more if you win monthly sweepstakes), a few hundred dollars a year isn’t an unrealistic goal.

It’s Easy to Get Paid to Watch Movies

That’s the dream for all of us, isn’t it, to make money doing what we love? Prior to the internet, the only way to get paid to watch movies was to be a movie critic. But now there are all kinds of companies willing to pay you to do what you love, watch movies.

Whether you’re looking for side hustles, easy ways to make money, or clever ways to get out of debt, getting paid to watch movies checks all those boxes. Don’t forget the popcorn.