Welcome to “The Streaming Wars,” where we outline the top stories in television streaming from the past month. With new platforms and shows being announced every day, it can be hard to keep track of everything that’s happening in the world of television streaming. We’re here to give you the breakdown of who’s making deals and making moves.
This month: A price increase for Hulu and Sling TV may indicate a wider trend for streaming television, and Disney+ joins the ranks of the international streaming platforms. Plus, we take a look at some of the series that have already been announced for the upcoming short-form streamer, Quibi.
We Regret to Inform You That Things Cost Money
In the past few weeks, the price of streaming television has seen an overall rise. Most recently, Dish increased the price of subscription plans for their internet TV service Sling TV by $5 per month, bringing the overall cost of Sling to $30 per month minimum. Hulu has also raised their prices in the past few months from $45 to $55 minimum for the live television package, though their $6 per month plan is still available for streaming only. Both of these instances mark price increase of about 20%, which may indicate a trend of television prices rising going into 2020. If you’re looking for your cheapest option, Apple TV+ is still only $5 per month, though whether you feel those $5 are worth it may be a matter of personal taste.
Mr. Worldwide
After a (mostly) successful first month of operation, Disney+ is now branching out and making international deals. Disney+ shows will now be available in France thanks to a Disney partnership with the French pay-tv company Canal Plus (or Canal+, depending on stylization). With Disney+’s ambitious goal of gaining over 60 million subscribers by 2024, access to international markets is going to be a huge deal. In addition to France, Disney+ shows are now available in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, and will add the UK and various countries in Western Europe on March 31 of 2020.
Wait So What’s Quibi Again?
Quibi, the upcoming short-form mobile streaming project headed by Dreamworks founder Jefferey Katzenberg, has slowly been coming into the spotlight as the creative heads have announced the shows that will be available upon the platform’s launch. A huge variety of short-form series have already been announced, all connected to big-name actors, directors, and producers. Here are some of our favorites that have been announced:
- A bite-sized cooking challenge judged by Andy Samberg
- An all-female comedy series hosted by Cara Delevingne
- A reboot of the cult comedy Reno 911!
- An animated series from 50 Cent
- A gaming-themed thriller from Ridley Scott
Quibi goes live with all these shows in April of the coming year. The streaming service will cost $5 per month with advertisements or $8 per month for the premium ad-free service.