Every US streaming service, ranked
Over 100 services, scored and sorted into tiers.
We all know there are a lot of streaming services out there, but did you know that here in the US, there are over 100? They're all asking you to download, watch and pay (via your dollars, watching ads or both) -- and subscribing to them all would cost over $900 a month -- so how do you choose which services deserve your time and money?
Enter me, a person with too much time on their hands and an obsession with streaming services:
I spent dozens of hours coming up with a scoring system that felt fair and honest to every kind of service, from the most niche to the broadest out there, then researched and assigned each one points in five categories: price, originals, back catalog, variety and availability. It wasn't easy, but in the end, I feel like I landed on a system that was pretty fair (a tall order when you're ranking 101 anythings).
For the sake of transparency, we laid out the total point scores for every service in five handy graphics:
(Editors' note: CBS All Access, Nick Hits, Pluto, Showtime and Smithsonian Channel Plus are owned by ViacomCBS, which also publishes CNET.)
As mentioned in the video, I know there are almost definitely services in your personal S-Tier that may have landed in a lower one on this list, and that's OK! So many services out there are focused at a specific niche or genre, and even though it might keep it from competing heavily with the Netflixes and Amazons of the world, they can still be excellent services with great content.
Want to tell us your perfect streaming package? Come play a game on CNET's Facebook and Twitter where you get a 50-coin budget and have to build the best streaming bundle possible.
You have exactly 50 shiny gold coins to buy your perfect streaming bundle. How do you choose? https://t.co/J35PtBW0m5 pic.twitter.com/qCPRrevGhV
— CNET (@CNET) May 13, 2020
Basically, it all boils down to your personal taste, whether or not you get TV FOMO, and how much you're willing to spend. The world of streaming services is your oyster, and there are tons of pearls out there!
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