In the beginning, there was Netflix. Since
then, on-demand streaming options haveexpanded into the dozens. Some, such as Amazon
Prime Video and Hulu, compete with Netflix by
providing lots of movies, reruns of TV episodes,
and their own original content—including some
of the most highly regarded shows being made
now. But the streaming world is still changing ...
a lot. New streaming services continue to launch,
including three coming soon from major tech and
entertainment companies. Beyond the big guys,
a number of streaming services cater to niche
interests, such as documentaries and classic films.
Here’s the ever-changing world of streaming, as
it exists in 2019.
THE BIG THREE
Netflix
Netflix is still the chest-
beating gorilla of the
streaming jungle. It has the
largest subscription base, and
it offers unlimited streaming
of TV shows, movies, comedy
specials, and original
programming. Netflix’s prices
have been climbing, most
recently by 13 to 18 percent
for its three plans.
WHAT’S NEW: The basic
standard-def option now
costs $9 per month, while the
most popular Standard plan,
which gets you HD quality,
costs $13. The Premium plan,
which lets you stream to more
screens simultaneously and
includes 4K content, costs $16
per month. The increasing
price isn’t the only reason
some of the shine is coming
off Netflix; the platform will
be losing a lot of content
owned by Disney after that
company launches its own
streaming service.
NOTABLE NETFLIX
ORIGINALS: “Stranger Things,”
“The Umbrella Academy,”
“Chef’s Table.”Amazon Prime Video
Many people think of Amazon
Prime Video as free—and it
is, sort of, if you’re already
paying the company’s $119
annual fee to get two-day
shipping on purchases. This
service has loads of movies
and television shows, and
a growing roster of great
original programming. Prime
also lets you add premiumchannels via its Amazon
Channels service.
WHAT’S NEW: You don’t save
any money by subscribing
to CBS All Access, HBO, or
Showtime this way, but it adds
convenience. Your payments
just go through your Amazon
account—no separate sign-in
or billing setup needed. And
you can access all the content
through Amazon Prime
instead of jumping out and
then launching HBO, say, to
catch up on “Big Little Lies.”
NOTABLE AMAZON PRIME
ORIGINALS: “The Marvelous
Mrs. Maisel,” “Jack Ryan,”
“Good Omens.”Hulu
Hulu zigged when other
services zagged earlier this
year, cutting the monthly price
of its basic ad-based service
to $6 while competitors were
raising rates. But the basic
service is just one of Hulu’s
streaming options. The
company’s cable-style Hulu
+ Live TV service (see page
29) rose in price slightly, and
the commercial-free version
of classic Hulu remained
unchanged at $12 per month.
WHAT’S NEW: Hulu, now
controlled by Disney, is a
great way to watch current
TV series without paying for
cable or a cable-replacement
package. You get access to
new episodes from most
broadcast networks, plus a
handful of cable shows the
day after they air.
NOTABLE HULU ORIGINALS:
“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Castle
Rock,” “The Looming Tower.”