The term “streaming wars” was coined to describe the fierce competition between platforms. And, with so many options, but the possibility that our favourite shows and movies are spread across multiple services, each with its own fee, how do we begin to choose?
Apple TV+
Apple TV + is Apple’s television service that houses Apple-funded original TV shows and movies. Apple has produced dozens of shows and is working on dozens more.
With its original content, Apple has attracted big names like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, J.J. Abrams, and Oprah. In addition, Apple’s original TV shows feature well-known actors and actresses such as Jennifer Aniston, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, and Steve Carell.
Apple TV+ costs $4.99 monthly and comes with a one-week free trial. There’s also a $49.99 annual subscription that saves money over the monthly option, and subscriptions support Family Sharing, allowing up to six family members to access content with a single subscription. Apple One bundles start at $14.99 per month and include Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and Apple Music.
Apple is also giving away a free three-month subscription to Apple TV+ when you buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, or Mac. The offer is valid until 2022, but only one free year per person can be redeemed.
Disney+
Disney Plus is a streaming service that offers a broad selection of on-demand shows and movies from all of Disney’s brands. Since November 2019, the service has attracted over 130 million subscribers.
Disney Plus offers content from Disney’s vault and new shows explicitly created for subscribers. Subscribers can watch animated films from the studio, new Pixar films, and titles from “Star Wars” and Marvel. In addition, big-screen releases like “Thor: Love and Thunder” are available on the service after they have been released in theatres.
Subscriptions for ad-free streaming begin at $8 per month. Disney Plus can also be combined with Hulu and ESPN+ for a monthly fee of $14. Disney will launch an ad-supported plan for $8 per month in December and raise the price of its ad-free plan to $11 per month.
Amazon Prime Video
Prime Video is an on-demand streaming service available as part of an Amazon Prime membership. If you don’t already have Amazon Prime, you can sign up for Prime Video separately.
On Prime Video, you can watch thousands of titles, including many award-winning movies, original series, and critically acclaimed TV shows.
There are approximately 24,000 movies and over 2,100 shows to choose from on the streaming service. You could also rent or buy extra movies and TV episodes not included along with your subscription and subscribe to over 100 premium channels through Prime Video.
Prime Video is included in an Amazon Prime membership, which costs $15 per month or $139 per year. So if you don’t want any of Amazon Prime’s other benefits, you can get Prime Video for $9 per month.
