After being one of the most astounding revolutions of the entertainment industry in the 2010s,streaming servicesare becoming more divisive in the 2020s. With the increased capabilities of the internet in the 21st century, having the option to stream movies and TV shows from home permanently changed the game for visual media.Netflix, which began as a subscription service for mailing DVDs, was the first site to begin offering original contentwith House of Cards in 2013. This innovation eventually mitigated the need for cable television, asNetflix’s best showsoffered both superior and more affordable options.
In 2019,the “streaming wars”fully kicked off, with several other companies finally throwing their hats in the ring. Netflix dominated the streaming industry for almost a decade, with Hulu and Prime Video constantly trailing behind.After the release of Disney+, however, other major studios realized they could profit from streaming their own contentrather than renting it to Netflix. Max, Paramount+, Peacock, Apple TV+, and more have since been released, offering their own original content, and therein lies part of the problem.
5Too Many Streaming Services
There’s Too Many To Keep Track Of
Hulu’s New Thriller Is Quickly Becoming The Frontrunner To Replace Silo While Waiting For Season 3
Hulu’s new action thriller series looks to be a great replacement for Apple TV+’s acclaimed sci-fi drama Silo with its similar dystopian setting.
Standard w/ ads: $7.99
Hulu w/ ads: $9.99
Basic w/ ads: $9.99
Hulu w/o ads: $18.99
Ad-free w/ Showtime $12.99
Premium: $24.99
Premium: $20.99
3Excessive Adverts
Ads Are The Only Way To Make Streaming Cheap
Ads are bearable and often worth the discounted price, but it’s frustrating nonetheless when the initial appeal of streaming was ad-free television.
Adverts have always been part of the business model for Hulu, which initially worked as a nice balance for the lower price compared to Netflix. Now, it’s practically necessary to have ads in order to pay a decent price. Ads are bearable and often worth the discounted price, but it’s frustrating nonetheless when the initial appeal of streaming was ad-free television. Typically, an hour of television on streaming will have 4-5 minutes of ads, though it varies based on the title and platform. It’s not an egregious amount, butcompared to what these sites used to offer, it’s still notable.
2Longer Gaps Between Seasons
Many Shows Take 2+ Years Between Seasons
Though network shows were typically of a lower quality, fans could often expect over twenty episodes per season of their favorite shows. This accounted for some excellent material, be itLost,Seinfeld, orThe X-Files. Now,some shows are offering 6-8 episodes per season with two years or more between seasons.EuphoriaandStranger Thingsare two of streaming’s most popular series, both of which are notoriously late in delivering their latest seasons.
1Lack Of Quality Control
Streaming Quality Has Gone Down
The quality of the content is one of the main reasons for jumping from network TV to streaming services, but it’s rarer and rarer for shows to land successful material. Sure, there are phenomenal ongoing shows likeSeveranceandShogunthat are worth tuning in for, butno service offers consistent quality year-round to make an annual price reduction worthwhile.
Netflix, in particular, has been consistently criticized for developing quantity over quality, as well as frequently canceling programs after one season for poor viewership.The Golden Age of Television is arguably finished, especially with the pandemic and the 2023 Hollywood strikes devastating the industry.
