In the beginning there was Netflix.
After building a reputation of the first DVD-by mail service, the company was the go-to source for streaming media.
As time progressed more services were developed; from Hulu to Amazon Prime as the major competitors to smaller more specialized options such as Shudder, Acorn, Night Fight, Filmstruck, and Brown Sugar to digital spinoffs from pay services like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Stars, and Epix.
But, there’s no such thing as too much content, is there? VPN’s allow you to utilize streaming services without regional parameters. You can unblock Netflix, where the selection can be quite different.
Now, with several new major services coming, it will be interesting if content will be varied from one country to another.
Disney+ launches November 12th with a huge amount of inventory content from Disney, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Fox and ABC. In addition, original programming from Marvel, Lucasfilm, National Geographic and Disney with an extremely affordable price plan makes this service the one to beat.
Apple TV Plus features some big names in their original programming launching November 1st., but despite their low price point there isn’t a lot to justify the price. Among the talent announced is Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Anniston, Steve Carrell, Jason Mamoa , Alfre Woodard, Kumail Nanjiani, Big Bird, Sarah Bareillis, J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg, Chris Evans, Jennifer Garner, Brie Larson, M. Night Shyamalan, Ronald D. Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Taika Waititi. Unfortunately, many of these series could easily be a year or two off, which also fuels rumors that Apple might acquire Sony, establishing a back catalog.
HBO Max is expected to launch in 2020 and is rumored to already have 10,000 hours of content including the series The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, The Big Bang Theory, Friends, and Pretty Little Liars; in addition to post 2019 CW produced series such as Batwoman and Katy Keene. BBC content includes Luther, 11 seasons of the new Doctor Who, Top Gear and the original UK version of The Office. New programming includes films from Greg Berlanti and Steven Soderbergh, newly produced Looney Tunes shorts, Gossip Girl and Dune reboots, new seasons of Search Party and The Boondocks, an animated Gremlins prequel and series featuring stars Kaley Cuoco, Ansel Egort, Anna Kendrick and producers J.J. Abram and Joss Whedon.
Premium cable programming from HBO and even Cinemax is likely in the mix, too, as well as additional content produced by Warner Bros., New Line, DC Entertainment, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, The CW, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, and Looney Tunes,
The final major streaming service announced is Peacock, from NBC Universal. Expected in April 2020, Peacock will be the only streaming home of NBC’s The Office, joining dozens of other series including 30 Rock, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Cheers, King Of Queens, Married…With Children, Parenthood, Downton Abbey, Everyone Loves Raymond, Frasier, Friday Night Lights,House, Saturday Night Live, and Will & Grace. Included films will include the Bourne, Fast and Furious American Pie, Shrek, Back to the Future and Despicable Me franchises as well as such evergreen titles such as Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Field of Dreams, Bridesmaids, The Breakfast Club and Knocked Up.
New projects in development include several reboots including Battlestar Galactica reboot from Mr. Robot’s Sam Esmail, Saved By The Bell sequel-style reboot featuring original cast members Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez; and Soleil Moon Frye reprising her role as a grown-up version of Punky Brewster. In addition, A.P. Bio finds a second life on the streamer joining other announced series Dr. Death (with Jamie Dornan, Alec Baldwin, and Christian Slater), Brave New World (Based on the classic sci-fi novel starring Alden Ehrenreich and Demi Moore), Angelyne (Emmy Rossum plays the woman featured on a long-standing billboard in Hollywood), Rutherford Falls (Co-created by The Good Place creator Mike Schuur), Straight Talk (A comedy from Rashida Jones and Jada Pinkett Smith) and Who Wrote That (A docuseries set behind-the-scenes of Saturday Night Live).
With all of these options, one has to wonder how this is going to affect traditional programming.
And even more disconcerting, how will you find the time to watch?