The best credit cards for entertainment spending of May 2024

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Whether you're dedicated to catching the newest blockbuster or cheering on your favorite NFL team, you likely spend some of your income on entertainment expenses.

In fact, the average American spends about $3,269 a year, or $272 a month, on entertainment purchases, according to a sample budget based on the latest spending data available from the location intelligence firm Esri. It's more than Americans spend on gas ($2,218), travel ($2,244) and clothing ($2,142) annually.

If you use the right rewards credit card, it can help offset some of the cost of a night at the movies or tickets to see your favorite band.

There are a lot of cards out there, and they offer a wide range of perks. To help you cut through the noise, we narrowed down 111 popular rewards cards to those that offer bonus rewards for entertainment purchases. We then analyzed that batch using an average American's annual budget and dug into each card's perks and drawbacks to find the best options for entertainment purchases. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best cards.)

Here are CNBC Select's picks for the top credit cards for entertainment rewards that can earn you money while you enjoy concerts, movies, sporting events and more.

Who's this for? Sports fans, movie buffs and adventure seekers will all find a common reason to like the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card: unlimited 4% cash back on entertainment purchases. Compared to other rewards cards, this is the highest unlimited rewards rate on entertainment spending, whether you're buying movie tickets, taking a family trip to the zoo or spending the evening bowling with friends. The average American can earn an estimated $131 cash back on qualifying entertainment purchases.

Cardholders can also benefit from exclusive access to entertainment events, such as the iHeartRadio Music Festival and the Capital One JamFest.

Beyond entertainment perks, there's also 4% cash back on dining and popular streaming services, 3% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases. Plus, you can enjoy foodie-centric perks, such as exclusive access to premium reservations with OpenTable.

This card does come with a $95 annual fee, but it can be offset by the cash back you earn.

Who's this for? If you're looking for a rewards card with lots of perks and no annual fee, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great alternative to the *Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card thanks to its competitive 3% cash back on entertainment purchases. The average American can earn an estimated $98 cash back on qualifying entertainment purchases.

This card also offers 3% cash back on dining purchases, 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®) and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Cardholders can also benefit from access to exclusive experiences, such as the iHeartRadio Music Festival and the Capital One JamFest.

In addition to rewards, there's an introductory 0% APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, which is a great way to finance new purchases or refinance debt. After the intro period ends, a 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR applies and there is a 3% balance transfer fee for the first 15 months; 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time. No fee for amounts transferred at the Transfer APR; (see rates and fees).

New cardholders can take advantage of one of the best welcome bonuses available now: a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 within the first three months of account opening. This is a great bonus for a low spending requirement.

Who's this for? Fans of the Marvel universe should consider the Marvel Mastercard®, which provides numerous perks and discounts on Marvel-related purchases and other entertainment, plus no annual fee. The average American can earn an estimated $98 cash back on qualifying entertainment purchases.

Loyal Marvel fans can benefit from the variety of discounts this card provides, from 10% off at MarvelShop.com to 20% off tickets at the Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., an interactive exhibit in Las Vegas, special discounts on Marvel comics, as well as 3% cash back online at Marvel.com and at Marvel's official merchandise booths.

Cardholders also earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment, and 1% cash back on everything else.

While this card has a low welcome bonus of $25 statement credit after your first purchase, it's easy to earn since there isn't the typical $150-plus spending requirement.

Who's this for? The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card offers the highest rewards rate on select entertainment purchases: 5% cash back. Cardholders can choose to earn 5% cash back on two bonus categories each quarter, on your first $2,000 in combined eligible net purchases, then 1%. The average American can earn an estimated $8 cash back on qualifying entertainment purchases.

There are currently two entertainment-related categories that earn 5% cash back: movie theaters and TV, and internet and streaming services, which includes 15 providers such as Comcast, Apple Music and Hulu. You can choose both categories every quarter to maximize cash back.

You also get 2% cash back on one everyday category, such as grocery stores or gas stations, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Cardholders can update their preferences every quarter, so you can change categories based on your needs.

This card also comes with no annual fee and a generous welcome bonus of $200 cash back bonus after you apply online and spend $1000 within the first 120 days of account opening. You can also enjoy no interest on balance transfers for 15 billing cycles (after 19.49% - 29.74% variable APR), so if you need to pay off high interest debt, this may be the card for you. 

Who's this for? If you prefer to Netflix and chill instead of going out on a Friday night, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express can earn you the most cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions at 6%. The average American can earn an estimated $6 cash back in this category.

There are 25 streaming subscriptions that qualify for 6% cash back, including popular services like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify and Prime Video Unlimited, as well as services that are typically not included among other cards, such as ESPN+, Audible and YouTube.

Cardholders can also earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), unlimited 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit-related purchases, such as tolls, parking, buses and rideshares, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Additional perks include money-saving Amex Offers, which provide discounts and extra points at participating retailers.

This card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year (then $95), but it can be offset by the cash back you earn and discounts you can get through the Amex Offers. (See rates and fees.)

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best entertainment credit cards.

To determine which cards offer the best value, CNBC Select analyzed popular credit cards offered by the biggest banks, financial companies and credit unions that allow anyone to join and offer bonus rewards on entertainment purchases. Bonus rewards means a cardholder earns 2% or 2 points per dollar in a given category. In this case, entertainment.

We compared each card on a range of features, including cash-back rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fee and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit score and customer reviews when available. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is for the consumer to redeem points.

CNBC Select teamed up with location intelligence firm Esri. The company's data development team provided the most up-to-date and comprehensive consumer spending data based on the 2019 Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can read more about their methodology here.

Esri's data team created a sample annual budget of approximately $22,126 in retail spending. The budget includes six main categories: groceries ($5,174), gas ($2,218), dining out ($3,675), travel ($2,244), utilities ($4,862) and general purchases ($3,953). General purchases include items such as housekeeping supplies, clothing, personal care products, prescription drugs and vitamins, and other vehicle expenses.

Select used this budget to estimate how much the average consumer would save over a year, two years and five years, assuming they would attempt to maximize their rewards potential by earning all welcome bonuses offered and using the card for all applicable purchases. All rewards total estimations are net the annual fee.

It's important to note the value of a point or mile varies from card to card and based on how you redeem them. When we calculated the estimated returns, we assumed that cardholders are redeeming points/miles for a typical maximum value of 1 cent per point or mile. (Extreme optimizers might be able to achieve more value.)

Our final picks are weighted heavily toward the highest five-year returns, since it's generally wise to hold onto a credit card for years. This method also avoids giving an unfair advantage to cards with large welcome bonuses.

While the five-year estimates we've included are derived from a budget similar to the average American's spending, you may earn a higher or lower return depending on your spending habits.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card, click here.

*Information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.