The Streaming Takeover

Believe it or not, streaming can be tracked back to almost 30 years ago. A company known as StarWorks was one of the first to begin releasing video-on-demand products in the early 1990s. This was later brought to the novel internet almost 20 years ago, with YouTube paving the way for anyone to upload practically anything they wanted to the internet (such as illegally uploading episodes of their favorite TV show). Then by the late 2000s we saw the arrival of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The 10-15 years that followed saw an exponential shift from hardly anyone knowing about streaming, to currently having over 1 billion streaming subscriptions worldwide.

One particular incident to note is the COVID-19 pandemic which began almost two years ago now. Within months of the onset of the pandemic lockdowns, millions of people began turning to streaming services for entertainment. We have also seen what has basically become a war between some of the "streaming giants" such as Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, and Tubi.

We begin with perhaps the most famous of them all: Netflix. For the past 3 years, Netflix has reigned as the biggest streaming service. Its original movies, but most especially TV shows have garnered numerous accolades over the years. Some of its most popular originals include Squid Game and Stranger Things.

Standard Rate: $13.99

Subscribers: 214 Million

Market Cap: $278.21B

My personal favorite Netflix original: Money Heist (La casa de papel)

I don't personally have much experience with Prime, but I think the fact that Amazon is so hugely popular as a company, they are able to keep their hat in the ring with the other streaming services. They don't have as much to offer in terms of original entertainment, but there have been multiple times I've "rented" a movie from Prime Video because I couldn't find it anywhere else.

Standard Rate: $12.99

Subscribers: 175 Million

Market Cap: $1.8T (all of Amazon)

Like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, Hulu has also been around for a while. It first launched in 2007, and has also produced some of its own original work. However, unlike Netflix, their work has not seen as much success. I'm personally more of a Hulu fan than a Netflix one (I like that I get it for free with the Student Spotify Premium). A huge downfall to Hulu is that the standard subscription has ads.

Standard Rate: $6.99

Subscribers: 43.8 Million

Market Cap: $45B

My personal favorite Hulu original: Only Murders in the Building

In comparison to the first three services above, Disney+ is a baby. It was first launched just over two years ago. Disney+ was actually the first streaming service that I bought for myself, because I was very excited for the Star Wars content. I think having both Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe is the main thing that is keeping Disney fighting with its top competitors.

Standard Rate: $7.99

Subscribers: 118 Million

Market Cap: $278.65B (all of Disney)

My personal favorite Disney+ original: The Mandalorian

Max has also been a later entry into the land of Streaming, first launching in mid-2020. I am also somewhat of a fan of HBO Max, but I think that it's because it comes as a bonus with my family's phone plan (kind of like my relationship with Hulu). In my opinion, HBO Max has a great variety of movies; watching endless episodes of Whose Line Is It Anyway? keeps me sane.

Standard Rate: $9.99

Subscribers: 43.5 Million

Market Cap: $163.81B (all of AT&T)

My personal favorite HBO Max original: Titans

The last service I wanted to mention is Peacock. I think something that makes Peacock unique is that a lot of their entertainment can be streamed for free (you just need an account). The more valuable TV shows and movies require a paid subscription, but with the free account, you can enjoy away! Just be ready for the ads. And I'll address the obvious: the one thing keeping Peacock running is The Office.

Standard Rate: Free

Subscribers: 54 Million

Market Cap: $218.44B (all of Comcast)

My personal favorite Peacock original: La Brea