Streaming services have continued to change in 2025, for better and worse. Below, I look at what streaming services I currently use.
Netflix
Earlier this year, I canceled Netflix after yet another price hike, bringing the cost of ad-free Netflix to a few cents shy of $20 a month (with local sales tax, which is high here).
Last month, however, I resubscribed to Netflix, but at the cheaper ad-based tier. One reason is that I’ve freed up a streaming spot after I canceled Hulu (because of a mix of the Black Friday Hulu deal I got almost ending and Disney’s Jimmy Kimmel antics). As of this writing, Netflix hasn’t engaged in the sort of embarrassing actions Paramount or Disney have done to appease Trump, though it’s still facing pressure to appease bigots.
I also wanted to watch a few Netflix-only movies and TV shows I was interested in, particularly “KPop Demon Hunters.” Which I did enjoy, if wondering—the songs are catchy, the animation’s nice (taking cues from anime and fellow Sony film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and it’s an original story, not a reboot/revival/based on an old property.
As for the ads, Netflix doesn’t show ads on any children’s programming, including the aforementioned “KPop Demon Hunters.” Given I watch a number of cartoons, that’s nice. That said, I’m still wary about the ads; Netflix says they plan to add generative AI-based ads in 2026. If I don’t cancel Netflix before then (after having watched all the content of interest), generative AI ads will definitely lead me to drop it.
Amazon Prime Video
While Amazon’s definitely engaged in problematic behavior, I still subscribe off and on for the two-day shipping. Reasons why: I don’t have a car; don’t know anyone with a car; Uber/Lyft here is expensive; shopping via public transit leaves much to be desired; and the only alternatives are Walmart (online only, as it’s too far away), Target, and a local big-box store chain (which I like, but it’s too inconvenient by bus to regularly visit). Costco isn’t an option; again, no car. Fall and winter also see me doing a lot of online shopping (birthdays, holidays). As such, Prime for the foreseeable future is “on,” and thus, so is Prime Video.
That said, Prime Video always felt like a nice add-on to the shipping, but not something I turn to as a main TV viewing choice. For starters, the interface is cluttered with a confusing mix of Prime Video content, free ad-supported content, and material only available via third-party streaming services or for rent/purchase. Prime’s originals also never really excited me, though I know they have their fans.
My main use of Prime Video is for sports. Thursday Night Football is a Prime Video staple (it’s on while I type this). Locally, Prime Video streams all non-nationally televised Seattle Kraken hockey games. There’s also plans to start streaming some NBA basketball games through Prime Video. (They already stream WNBA games, including Seattle Storm games locally.)
Peacock
Peacock is a service I’ve had for years; as a longtime Comcast broadband customer, I receive it for free.
That said, Peacock’s seen some of its material leave for other services, making it less of a value for what it costs (on top of Peacock’s recent steep price hike). While I’m not a wrestling viewer, WWE has seen some of its content depart for Netflix and ESPN. Hallmark has completely left Peacock, as the rom-com movie giant has started its own streaming service.
My main Peacock usage at this point is for sports. “Sunday Night Football” is a staple on Peacock (a simulcast of NBC’s broadcasts), along with the Summer and Winter Olympics. Coming this fall to Peacock (as part of its return to NBC) is NBA basketball.
I also sometimes use Peacock for the occasional movie; DreamWorks and Illumination technically call Peacock home, though much of those catalogs are on Netflix. For horror fans, the Universal horror library resides on Peacock, though I’m not sure if it’s enough to displace a niche service like the horror-oriented Shudder.
MLB.TV
While baseball season’s over, I do get MLB.TV for free through my phone carrier. However, local team games are blacked out, making it only really useful for occasionally seeing my hometown team.
MLS Season Pass (Apple TV+)
Similarly to MLB.TV, I get MLS Season Pass for free through my phone carrier. However, I don’t subscribe to Apple TV+ itself, despite prompting to sign up while using Season Pass. MLS games are streamed through Season Pass, including the local team’s games.
Free services
I also use a few free services:
- PBS offers free streaming of my local PBS station, as well as current and recent episodes of some shows. While I don’t currently donate, a $5 a month donation to one’s local PBS station gets PBS Passport, their streaming service with a deeper catalog of programming. PBS also needs the money much more than any of the commercial services listed above, especially after recent funding cuts.
- Hoopla and Kanopy are two services available for free (and ad-free) through the public library. Kanopy offers movies and TV shows, while Hoopla offers those plus music, audiobooks, ebooks, and comics; I mainly use Hoopla for the comics.
Honorable mention: Jellyfin media server
Finally, while not technically a streaming service, I also run my own media server (using Jellyfin), and buy DVDs/Blu-rays to rip on my computer for said server. (Some content I’ve downloaded from YouTube and the Internet Archive, but the majority of it’s from physical media.) The results: I get my own ad-free streaming service with content I like; I don’t have to pay for a subscription; and said content can’t be removed for a tax write-off or due to some executive’s selfish whim.
I’ve been keeping a tally of the DVDs/Blu-rays I’ve been buying. I conclude they average out to about $25 a month, or less than what Disney now charges for the Disney Bundle I had several years ago.
Current cost
Adding up the monthly cost of the above services:
- Netflix (with ads): $8
- Amazon Prime Video (with ads): $15
- Peacock (with ads): $0
- MLB.TV: $0
- MLS Season Pass: $0
- PBS: $0
- Hoopla/Kanopy: $0
- Total: $23
Conclusion
As I noted last year, after years of using everything (Paramount+, HBO Max, etc.), my TV habits have gone back to what they were in the early 2010s, before the “streaming wars” started: Netflix, a few other streaming services, and DVDs/Blu-rays/my own media server. (The only difference is I no longer have cable TV.) Still, my TV viewing seems to work out well enough.
What streaming services do you use?
Image: “HBO Now Apple TV” by Harrison Weber is licensed under CC BY 2.0 (Flickr / cropped from original)
