Long gone are the days of cable television, when teenagers were forced to wait until the broadcasting times of their favorite CW shows. Today, streaming services dominate the entertainment industry and subscribed members have access to vast libraries of shows, movies and other films. However, deciding which service to subscribe to can be tricky. To make the choice easier, a few of the most popular ones are explored below.

While Disney channel remains a childhood staple, Disney+ has more recently emerged as a major streaming service. Not only does it include Disney content (such as Disney Channel, Disney Junior, etc.) but it also has Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic as well. The service generally caters toward ‘kid-friendly family movie nights,’ advertising films for kids of all ages like “Luca” or “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and contains a limited selection of adult-oriented content. Sophomore Rey Landoll, however, finds this to be the most preferable. “I like to watch a lot of kid shows,” Landoll said, adding that she enjoyed Marvel as well. Expanding its scope, Disney has begun partnerships with Hulu, Max and ESPN, offering bundle subscriptions that include multiple services and provide access to new shows including the recent sports broadcasts and less kid-friendly movies. Disney+ has two price plans: basic with ads and premium. Basic with ads is approximately $10 per month and offers the ability to stream on multiple devices. Premium upgrades this offer with no ads, better sound and video quality and the ability to stream and download on more devices for about $16 a month. Both plans also offer the ability to add additional members who live elsewhere.

Peacock, which was the main streaming service for the 2024 Summer Olympics, has become popular of late and for a good reason. It boasts access to hit movies and TV shows, plus Peacock Originals, popular NBC, Bravo and Telemundo content, as well as live TV such as news and sports. It only has two price plans: Premium allows–with ads–access to shows and TV, live events and sports, current NBC and Bravo shows and many channels available 24/7 for approximately $8 a month. Premium Plus, which is around $14, adds the option to download and watch shows offline, broadcasts the subscriber’s local NBC channel live around the clock and has very limited ads.

Paramount Plus is relatively new to the game but it has already carved out a place as a frequented service. Like other streaming services, it has its original productions, alongside live sports, major movies, family-friendly options, CBS shows and SHOWTIME originals. The first price plan is Paramount+ Essential, which is almost $8 a month with ads; it can stream on up to three devices, play its vast collection of movies and TV and broadcasts NFL on CBS & UEFA Champions League live. Paramount+ with SHOWTIME is the second subscription at $13, including everything Essential has plus access to SHOWTIME originals, can download movies and shows and stream more sports and events with CBS live.

And, of course, Netflix. Arguably the most famous streaming service, Netflix is a top contender when choosing a streaming service to use. “I like their user interface, I think like, it’s like pretty aesthetic and I like most of the titles, or the shows they have on there,” junior Aditi Kikkeri, whose favorite service is Netflix, said. Netflix’s high regard can be attributed to its diversity; it offers many different movie and television genres and it can even stream international media. It has everything from romantic comedies like “13 going on 30” to dramas like “Suits” to situation comedies like “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Not to mention, Netflix has released award-winning originals like “Stranger Things,” “Never Have I Ever,” and the “To All the Boys” franchise. 

In terms of affordability, Netflix offers three price plans. Standard with Ads is less than $10 per month; all games and most movies and shows are available to watch and download on two devices at a time in full HD. The Standard plan is more expensive and includes everything the Standard with Ads plan does, but without inconvenient advertisement breaks. The plan also allows users to add one extra member outside of the household for a discounted price. The final and most exclusive plan is the Premium plan for around $25. This plan has the same accessibilities as the others, but with extended benefits. Netflix is also sophomore Aiyla Sheikh’s favorite. “It just has a lot of shows that I happen to like and categorizes them nicely.”