Image source: https://www.gq.com/story/which-streaming-service-is-right-for-you
Written by Rachel Puckett
“Continue watching?,” the button on Netflix teasingly asks as if you have not been watching The Office for the past four hours. It is curious to think about how the show originally aired on television and one had to wait a full week to see what happened to Jim and Pam. Now, all we have to do is admit that we are addicted to binge-watching the show. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney+ captivate our culture and dominate how we receive our entertainment.
With all these different platforms, there is the ability to release new content and revisit the old. With its potential for so many more projects to be greenlit, producers, filmmakers, and entertainment junkies alike see these platforms as a gold mine. More independent films are finally getting a mainstream platform; now audiences are able to enjoy genres that they may never have known existed simply because these genres showed up on their Amazon Prime recommended list.
However, with every streaming service providing new shows and new movies, the market is becoming flooded. This causes our society to go from “I have seen this already, and I want something new,” to “there is so much new, I am just going to watch this again.” New content, however good it may be, gets looked over unless it becomes extremely popular. This trend is helpful for nostalgic shows to become beloved again. Shows like Friends, That 70s Show, Gilmore Girls, and Full House are gaining a new fan base with younger generations. Friends was so beloved that when it was going to be removed from Netflix, fans fought back and extended the show’s streaming time.
With all of these movies and shows and so many ways to watch them, there is one big question: is this sustainable? Prices of the most popular streaming services range from six to nine dollars a month, significantly lower than the average cost of cable TV. However, that low price just for one service. Most families have multiple services, which may end up costing more than cable would originally. So, do you buy only cable or only streaming? It depends on what you want. Disney+ is the newest streaming service and has already climbed the ranks to become one of the most popular within three months of its existence. People are drawn to it because of the popularity of the Disney brand. It offers the nostalgia of childhood and the entertainment of today. It also mimics the shows that are currently offered on the Disney Channel. It is a prime example of how a company could switch to streaming platforms only and actually gain revenue. Disney Channel is still alive and well, but Disney+ lives up to the plus in its name. Personally, after being without cable there is no shortage of entertainment and news to be found on streaming services alone, so I don’t see streaming platforms going away anytime soon.
Author: Rachel Puckett