Streaming services are all the rage right now, and it’s easy to see why: In addition to music, movies, and TV shows, they can give you thousands of hours of premium content on-demand with no commercials. But which ones are best? Below we present the pros and cons of some of the biggest streaming services right now in order to help you decide which one is right for you.
Netflix
With all of its original content, from Stranger Things to Orange is The New Black to The Crown, Netflix is still by far your best bet for quality entertainment. With 5 billion hours of video watched every month on its platform, Netflix will continue to dominate popular culture as it produces an average of 1 million hours of new content each year.
Amazon Prime Video
Prime Video is currently expanding around Europe, having first expanded to Spain, Italy and Germany last year, and bringing Prime Video to some of Europe’s most popular countries. The service has attracted over 10 million subscribers worldwide and will expand into new countries later in 2018.
Hulu
In late 2020, Hulu was acquired by Amazon. Despite some grumbling from users about merging content and service for several of their subscription plans, it turned out to be a huge success for both companies. Now known as Amazon Instant Video, Hulu subscribers enjoy access to all-you-can-eat Amazon Prime benefits like free shipping on goods, early access to sales events, and more.
Apple TV
The Apple TV has been around for some time, and while it’s an exceptional device, I think its days as a leader in TV entertainment are numbered. It’s expensive to buy (the fourth-generation model is currently priced at $149) and is just getting less and less support from Apple. It hasn’t been updated since 2015, which means it doesn’t include Siri or any of Apple’s latest innovations.
YouTube TV
YouTube’s new subscription service—YouTube TV—is aimed at attracting a larger cord-cutting audience. It will cost $35 per month and offer up to six accounts for one price, which is a pretty great deal, considering that other services charge $50-$60 for just one account. The only catch is that you have to sign up before March 13, 2018 to secure your membership price.
HBO Max
Creating their own streaming service was probably a no-brainer for HBO. People love their shows, and they’ve been adding more and more content over time. We don’t know yet what kind of original programming they’ll be putting on here, but if it means anything to you, we can almost guarantee that Game of Thrones will be returning as a new show here. It might take them some time to get started with such an undertaking, though.
Disney +
Disney had a colossal year in 2017. From acquiring 20th Century Fox to launching its own direct-to-consumer streaming service, 2018 was no different. In 2019, it kicked off its first slate of original programming and brought on board original programming such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars and several Marvel series. As other platforms begin to fill their lineups with lesser-known Disney content and home video releases, expect more consumers to choose Disney + as their go-to streaming service.
Sling TV
Sling TV is a cable subscription alternative that offers live access to your favorite channels without having to pay for them with a bundle of expensive cable packages. – Sling TV – Best Streaming Services Reviews