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A streaming media service (also simply called a streaming service) is an online platform that allows users to watch or listen to content, such as movies, TV shows, music, or podcasts, over the internet. Instead of downloading the content to their device, users can stream it in real-time, which means they can start watching or listening immediately without having to wait for the entire file to download. Popular examples of streaming services include Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and Disney+. Streaming services offer instant access to content, allowing users to watch or listen on-demand without the need for downloads or physical media.
An over-the-top media service (OTT) is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as controllers or distributors of such content. Most of these services are owned by a major film studio. Some streaming services started as an add-on to Blu-ray offerings, which are supplements to the programs watched. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms.
Digital streaming acts in a similar way to on-demand television in that the program to watch is selected. But the program is not recorded or stored like it might be on TiVo, etc. Digital video purchases grant a user indefinite access to a show or film, but the terms and conditions vary as to whether the file can be downloaded or must be streamed.
A client end-user can use a media player, computer, smartphone, or smart TV to start and continue playing digital video content before the entire file has been transmitted. Users will need an Internet connection to stream or download video content. Users lacking compatible hardware or software systems may be unable to stream or download certain content.
Service | Parent | Launch | Country of origin | Subscribers | Content | Areas served | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Philo | A&E Networks | November 14, 2017 | United States | 800,000 [aq] | Licensed content from other vendors | United States | [95] |
Atresplayer Premium | Atresmedia | September 8, 2019 | Spain | 670,000 [ar] | Atresmedia | Americas and Spain | [96] |
Nebula | Standard Broadcast | May 23, 2019 | United States | 600,000 [as] | Sponsorship-free content by over 175 creators who collectively have over 120 million collective YouTube subscribers | United States and Worldwide | [97] |
Venevisión Play | Grupo Cisneros | August 25, 2023 | Venezuela | 600,000 | Venevisión telenovelas, Miss Venezuela, licensed content from other vendors | Venezuela | [98] |
Showmax | MultiChoice Group | August 19, 2015 | South Africa | 590,000 | Hollywood, British, Kenyan, Nickelodeon, Disney, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, ABC, HBO and South African content | Africa | [99] |
ALTBalaji | Balaji Telefilms | April 16, 2017 | India | 570,000 | ALTBalaji Originals | Worldwide | [100] |
Dropout | Independent (Formerly majority owned IAC, [101] still a minority stakeholder) [102] | September 26, 2018 [103] | United States | 500,000-999,999 [104] | Originally developed, produced, and distributed [105] content with a focus on short and long-form improv comedy, actual play, and panel shows, [106] as well as a back catalog of CollegeHumor's content including sketches and scripted comedy. [107] | Worldwide | [107] |
BlazeTV | Blaze Media | September 12, 2011 | United States | 450,000 [at] | Glenn Beck Program, Levin TV, Louder with Crowder | United States | [108] |
Angel Studios | 2023 | United States | 375,000 | Original and licensed content. | United States, Canada, other countries are coming soon | [109] | |
GagaOOLala | Portico Media Company Ltd. | 2017 | Taiwan | 150,000 | GOL Studios | Taiwan and Worldwide | [110] |
AMC+ | AMC Networks | 2020 | United States | 100,000 [au] | AMC Originals, AMC Networks, licensed content from other vendors | United States | [111] |
IFC Films Unlimited | 2019 | United States | IFC Originals, AMC Networks, licensed content from other vendors | United States and Canada [112] | [113] | ||
Sundance Now | 2014 | United States | Sundance TV Originals, AMC Networks, licensed content from other vendors | United States | [111] | ||
Allblk | 2020 | United States | Allblk Originals, AMC Networks, licensed content from other vendors | [114] | |||
We TV+ | 2020 | United States | We TV Originals, AMC Networks, licensed content from other vendors | [111] | |||
SOMM TV | Forgotten Man Films | 2019 | United States | Original and licensed content. | Worldwide | [115] |
The following services are owned and operated by television networks, cable channels, or other conglomerates in that market. They are major content producers, and their streaming services serve as the primary means of distributing the content that often first airs on their networks or channels.
Service | Supporting company/companies | Regional availability | Website-based | Windows application | Mac application | Linux application | iOS application | Android application | Console application | TV set application | Set Top Box application | Free |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7plus | Seven West Media | Australia | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | PS4, PS5 | Android TV, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Philips | Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV | Yes |
9Now | Nine Entertainment | Australia | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | PS4 (discontinued) | Android TV, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Philips | Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku | Yes |
10Play | Paramount Networks UK & Australia (Paramount Global) | Australia | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Xbox 360 (discontinued), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Android TV, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Philips | Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV | Yes |
ABC | Walt Disney Television (The Walt Disney Company) | United States | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Android TV, Samsung, Vizio | Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | Yes |
ABC iview | ABC | Australia | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | PS3 (discontinued), PS4, PS5, Xbox 360 (discontinued), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Android TV, Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, Philips | Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV | Yes |
APSFL IPTV | SAYT-TV2 | India | No | No | No | No | No | APSFL Android Player | None | None | APSFL IPTV and video on Demand | Yes |
BBC iPlayer | BBC | United Kingdom | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes [130] | Wii, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Android TV, Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, Philips | Virgin Media On Demand, Freesat, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | No |
CBC Gem | CBC | Canada | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | None | Android TV | Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | Yes |
CBS | Paramount Streaming (Paramount Global) | United States | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Android TV, Samsung, Vizio | Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | Yes |
Channel 4 | Channel 4 | United Kingdom | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Android TV | Virgin Media On Demand, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | Yes |
Eros Now | Eros | India | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Eros Android Player | None | Android TV, Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, Philips | Bollywood on Demand, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | Yes |
FOX Now | Fox Corporation | United States | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Android TV, Samsung, Vizio | Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | Yes |
Foxtel Now | Foxtel | Australia | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | PS4 and PS5 | Android TV, Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense | Apple TV and Chromecast | No |
Global Video | Global | Canada | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | None | Android TV | Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | No |
ITVX | ITV | United Kingdom | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Android TV | Virgin Media On Demand, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | Yes |
Jio TV | LYF | India | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | None | None | Jio on Demand | Yes |
My5 | Channel 5, Paramount Global | United Kingdom | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | None | Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Google TV | Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Now TV, Roku, Sky Glass, Virgin Media On Demand | No |
myTV | OSN, Rotana Group, SNA Corp | Americas & Australasia | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | None | Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Google TV | Western Digital, Boxee Box, Netgear NTV 300, Google TV devices, Samsung and Android tablets | No |
NBC | NBCUniversal (Comcast) | United States | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes [131] | PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Android TV, Samsung, Vizio | Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | Yes |
NRK TV | NRK | Norway | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Google TV | Western Digital, Boxee Box, Netgear NTV 300, Google TV devices, Samsung and Android tablets | No |
Pilipinas Live | Cignal TV, TV5 | Philippines | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | – | Android TV | No | |
PTCL Smart TV App | PTCL | Pakistan | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | None | None | Standalone PTCL Smart Settop Box | No |
RTÉ Player | RTÉ | Ireland | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | None | Android TV | Apple TV and Chromecast | Yes |
RTP Play | RTP | Portugal Worldwide | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | None | Android TV, Samsung, LG | Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, MEO, NOS, Vodafone | Yes |
SBS On Demand | SBS | Australia | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | PS3 (discontinued), PS4 (discontinued), Xbox 360 (discontinued), Xbox One (discontinued) | Android TV, Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, Philips | Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV | Yes |
Sky Go | Sky UK (Comcast) | United Kingdom | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Android TV, Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, Philips | Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast | No |
STV Player | STV | United Kingdom | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PS3 | Android TV | Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Now TV, Roku, Sky Glass, Virgin Media On Demand | Yes |
TG4 Beo | TG4 | Ireland Worldwide | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | None | Android TV | Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | Yes |
The CW | The CW Network | United States | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Android TV, Samsung, Vizio | Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | Yes |
Tivibu | Argela | Turkey | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Argela Android Player | Pending | None | Ttnet on Demand | No |
TVer | Nippon TV, TV Asahi, TBS Television, TV Tokyo, Fuji Television | Japan | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | None | Android TV, Sony, Sharp, Regza, Panasonic, Funai, Iris Ohyama | Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, J:com Link, KDDI Cable-plus STB-2, au Hikari STA3000, Aladdin X | Yes |
Virgin Media Player | Virgin Media Ireland | Ireland | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | None | Android TV | Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast | Yes |
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple languages.
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as television series and films, streamed over the Internet. Standing in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aerial systems, cable television, and/or satellite television systems, streaming television is provided as over-the-top media (OTT), or as Internet Protocol television (IPTV). In the United States, streaming television has become "the dominant form of TV viewing."
Hulu is an American subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company.
FX Networks, LLC, commonly known as FX Networks, is an American media company built around the FX television channel and its associated production company, FX Productions, and is a subsidiary of Disney General Entertainment Content, the television division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company. Originally a part of News Corporation and later 21st Century Fox, the company was included in the acquisition of the latter by Disney on March 20, 2019. Consequently, FX Networks was integrated with the other television production and broadcasting assets that form the Disney General Entertainment Content unit in 2021.
An over-the-top media service is a digital distribution service offered directly to viewers via the public Internet, rather than through an over-the-air, cable, or satellite provider. The term is synonymous with "streaming platform", such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video which provide access to subscription-based film and television content (SVoD). OTT television, commonly called streaming television, has become the most popular OTT content.
WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, a division of TKO Group Holdings.
Crave is a Canadian subscription video on demand service owned by Bell Media. The service competes directly with other subscription-based over-the-top streaming services operating in Canada, primarily against American-based services.
Stan is an Australian subscription over-the-top streaming service. It was launched on 26 January 2015. Stan originally was founded as StreamCo Media, a 50/50 joint venture between Nine Entertainment and Fairfax Media. In August 2014, each company invested A$50 million in StreamCo. StreamCo was renamed Stan Entertainment in December 2014, prior to the January 2015 launch of the streaming service. Nine Entertainment acquired Fairfax Media in 2018, making Stan a wholly owned subsidiary of Nine Digital.
Disney+ Hotstar is an Indian subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by JioStar, a joint venture between Reliance Industries, Viacom18 and Disney India.
Paramount+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures, CBS Studios, Paramount Media Networks, and Paramount Pictures, while also including original series and films, live streaming sports coverage, and in the United States, live streaming of local CBS broadcast stations.
WeTV iflix, or simply iflix, is a Malaysian free and subscription video on demand (VOD) service focused on emerging markets. Its global headquarters are in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The site serves as a digital hosting and distribution platform for Western, Asian regional and local TV shows and films obtained through partnerships with over 150 studios and content distributors globally.
BritBox is an online digital video streaming subscription service founded by BBC Studios and ITV which operates in eight countries across Australia, Europe, North America, and South Africa. In addition to original programming, it offers British television series and films, featuring current and past series as well as films supplied by Britain's major terrestrial broadcasters the BBC and ITV. BritBox is said to feature the biggest collection of British box sets available in one place, with additional original programming available from 2020.
Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming media service owned and operated by Disney Streaming, the streaming division of Disney Entertainment, a major business segment of the Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television shows produced by Walt Disney Studios and Disney Television Studios, with dedicated content hubs for Disney's flagship brands; Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, ESPN, Hulu and Star, as well as showcasing original and exclusive films and television shows.
There are currently about 57 providers of over-the-top media services (OTT) in India, which distribute streaming media or video on demand over the Internet.
Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced during the Apple Special Event of March 2019, where entertainers from Apple TV+ projects appeared onstage, including Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, and Steven Spielberg. The service can be accessed through Apple's website and through the Apple TV app, which has gradually become available on many Apple devices and some major competing digital media players, including some smart TV models and video-game consoles.
Max, also known as HBO Max, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Games, which is itself a division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). The platform offers content from the libraries of Warner Bros., Discovery, HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, TBS, TNT, Eurosport, and their related brands. Max first launched in the United States on May 27, 2020.
Peacock is an American over-the-top subscription streaming service owned and operated by Peacock TV, LLC, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal Media Group. Named after the NBC logo, the service launched on July 15, 2020.
Binge is an Australian subscription video on-demand service owned by Hubbl, a subsidiary of Foxtel. The service is devoted primarily to entertainment content, including television series and films.
JioCinema is an Indian subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by JioStar, a joint venture between Reliance Industries, Viacom18 and Disney India. the service was launched on 4 May 2016.
Star is a content hub within the Disney+ streaming service that launched on February 23, 2021. The hub is available in a subset of countries where Disney+ is operated, except the United States.