Cord cutters have plenty of excellent choices beyond Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix. Our exhaustive guide compares the top streaming services across multiple genres.
Streaming services started as an add-on to DVD and digital download offerings, and featured a trickle of second-run movies and TV shows. They were supplements to the programs you watched on their first (and second) runs on cable TV. However, speedier internet connections and an abundance of media streaming devices have accelerated the decline of traditional cable. An increasing number of people are cutting the cord in favor of dedicated streaming alternatives (even if there are still some good reasons to keep the cord). Entertainment and tech giants are not blind to the threat, however, and the media landscape is rapidly changing. Consolidation and curation (that is, owning the most media properties and serving the best content) seem to be the overarching goals of the players involved. Streaming services are only growing larger and more numerous, leaving you with an overwhelming number of options. If you’re looking to toss some money at a streaming video service, our top picks are a terrific starting point. New Channels and Consolidation
The competition between video streaming services has never been tougher, so some media companies are banding together. For instance, CBS and Viacom merged (again) to launch Paramount+, along with a Showtime bundle. AT&T announced plans to merge WarnerMedia with Discovery to form a new streaming giant, which has already killed CNN+ after only one month of availability. Considering how Discovery+ is leading the charge in streaming’s new trash TV golden age, we’re pretty stoked. Amazon bought MGM for $9 billion, too, which should considerably boost Prime Video’s library. Crunchyroll became the definitive anime streaming service by gobbling up rivals Funimation and VRV. Disney bundles Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ to cover all entertainment bases. Even AMC+ has a bundle packaging together AMC Premiere, Shudder, Sundance Now, IFC Films Unlimited, and BBC America. The increasingly competitive streaming market is not without consequences. Consumers who may have originally been attracted to the flexibility that streaming services offer over cable, now must navigate a crowded and constantly shifting nightmare of streaming rights and new services, many of which continue to rise in cost. Live TV streaming services are also struggling to adjust to the rising costs of broadcast rights from cable channel owners. The price of just about every one of these services has increased considerably over time. The Catalog Is Everything
As mentioned, a video streaming service’s success largely depends on what its library offers.
