You Can Only Choose One: Streaming Services
On today’s Token CEO, Erika had LCB’s Jeff Lowe on to talk about HBO Max, Quibi and what the future of streaming looks like.
So, turns out, there are a TON of streaming services I had never heard of. Just some absolutely ridiculous names too. Some examples: Xumo, Vidgo, Crunchyroll and Philo. If you are a loyal customer to one of these streaming services, I am very sorry for making fun of them. If any of Barstool’s shows or content is hosted on one of these platforms, then this is satire.
This blog is not about them, it is about the top dogs, and deciding which one I couldn’t live without. These are the streaming platforms in consideration, and the best they have to offer and where the weaknesses lie.
Netflix: The OG, the king. Netflix is cheap, you probably don’t even pay for it yourself because your parents, college roommate or random friend of an ex girlfriend had an account you’re still using until it is eventually snatched away. The combination of Emmy and Oscar worthy original content supported by a GIANT catalog of classic TV shows and movies and the fact that everyone has such a dependency from years of existence before these other services were relevant makes Netflix just absolutely dominant. It is clear that Netflix is gearing more toward original programming and away from distribution of non-original content, and that will be interesting to see if they ever become truly exclusive, but for now they are still just doing it right. Plus, everyone knows how important The Office is to the vast majority of this country and Netflix has that.
HULU: The only reason that I personally have HULU is for Always Sunny. It is the greatest show in the history of television and I simply cannot live without it. FX’s deal with HULU also put DAVE on the platform, and that was one of my favorite new shows this year. Additions of childhood favorites Malcolm in the Middle, One Tree Hill and The OC are tough to top. HULU is breathing down Netflix’s neck, and cheaper, and currently doing a damn good job of separating itself from the pack.
HBO Max: One of the main things that HBO Max has been pushing leading up to its release is the fact that it has Friends. Well, folks, Friends STINKS. It does have all the great HBO original programming from past and present, which is a giant sell obviously. I don't, however, casually throw on an episode of The Wire or Game of Thrones for background noise like I do a ton of shows available on Netflix and HULU. A big win is they snagged the entire Harry Potter series, which is great, but how often am I really going to watch those? Not. Alack of outside programming that isn’t original HBO exclusive content, or Friends, knocks HBO Max down a bit.
Disney Plus: We all know I have my issues with adult Disney fanatics, which I wrote about this week, but that has everything to do with those weirdos and nothing to do with their content, which is obviously spectacular. The Mandalorian was a HIT, but outside of this, Disney Plus’ original programming falls pretty short for me. Star Wars is a draw, but similar to Harry Potter in that it is awesome to throw on maybe once a year, but I’m not going to consistently throw on these movies consistently. If I had a young kid who I could just drop in front of the TV and would stare at Frozen and Moana (great film) all day, this may have been my number one, but I do not and will not anytime soon.
Amazon: This is a tough one to talk about because I’m pretty sure, at this point, every single person in America has Amazon Prime and, as a result, streaming access. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Patriot are two great shows that were Amazon originals, but outside of those I find myself often additionally paying for what I want to watch on Amazon, rather than it being available for free on the platform.
You know what. I am going to shock the world here and say that I am going with HULU if I could only choose one, knowing there is no way I could possibly live without Always Sunny, I simply do not think I can do it.
Listen to today's episode here: