Forget cable — it’s all about online streaming now, thanks to companies Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime and HBO GO.
According to eMarketer, 33 million Americans skipped cable service in 2018 and opted for streaming instead.
Here are some of the new streaming services 2019 and why they’re making streaming more complicated.
New online streaming services 2019
Disney+
In 2019, Disney will launch their own online streaming service.
The giant company has hundreds of beloved movies and shows such as Star Wars, The Lion King, Moana and Mulan. The new Disney+ online streaming service will offer their consumers access to all of their classic, along with a number of exclusive movies and series.
Their new streaming service will mean that Netflix will lose a lot of its content.
According to 7Park Data, Disney stands for 12 percent of the total viewership at Netflix in the U.S.
When Disney’s new site is released, all of their content will only be available to watch online on Disney+.
Their streaming service will be launched by the end of 2019 and according to Disney’s CEO Bob Iger, it will likely have a lower price than Netflix which is $8 to $14 a month.
Apple
Apple is expected to release their own online streaming service in March 2019. Their service will give you access to both their original content and also special offers to other services like HBO and Amazon Pime.
Apple started planning their new streaming service in 2018 and spent almost $1 billion creating new, exclusive content.
The great thing with their service is that they’re planning to give everyone with an apple device free access to all of their original movies and shows.
Warnermedia
Another tech giant ready to give Netflix some concurrence is Warnermedia, who is expected to launch their own online streaming service by the end of 2019.
Their service will in collaboration with AT&T offer the consumers three options to subscribe to, starting with an “entry-level” package that will be focused on movies. It will also include a “premium service” with original programming and blockbuster movies and a third option with all content from the other options plus licensed content.
The cost of their streaming service has not been revealed yet.
“If you’re a media company, you can no longer rely exclusively on wholesale distribution models,” AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said in a news release. “You must develop a direct relationship with your viewers,” he continued.
Why streaming is getting more complicated and expensive
The streaming space is getting crowded and the competition between the companies is constantly growing.
Individual channels like Fox, CBS and Showtime are also beginning to stream their service online. According to Research Group TDG, every major TV network will offer a streaming service in the upcoming five years.
In the near future, you’ll have to choose between paying more for different streaming services each month or losing access to many of your favorite movies and series.
You may have noticed that Netflix is putting more focus on developing original content like Stranger Things and To All The Boys I’ve loved before instead of licensed movies and TV shows.
The reason why they’re using this strategy is probably because of the fact that companies are now creating their own streaming services, unwilling to share their content.
According to Leichtman Research Group, the cost of subscribing to more than two streaming services could easily approach the average cost of a cable bill, which is around $107 per month.
The big amount of different streaming services is getting confusing and we’re standing in the middle in a transition from cable TV to online streaming.
“We’re in a time of dramatic change for the TV and video business. There’ll be great benefits, and question marks and consequences,” Michael Greeson, president of research group TDG, told Dailynews.
In a try to make it easier for the consumers, companies are already trying to collaborate by tying their streaming services together. For example, Amazon Prime users now can add subscriptions to Showtime and Apple will give special offers to sign up for HBO for their consumers.
The best thing would be if all of the content gathered in one place, but it’s clearly not that simple these days.
