Compiling “The Ultimate Guide to Streaming” is akin to writing the definitive history of the cosmos or indexing every Italian grandmother’s recipe for red sauce: You’re bound to leave something, or someone, out. Still, there may be no better moment to wrap one’s arms around so gargantuan a subject. As evidenced by the writers’ strike, the Oscar and Emmy races, the water-cooler conversation, even the handwringing over the broader economy, streaming is no longer the future of Hollywood. It is the inescapable, all-encompassing present, the opportunity everyone in town is hoping to capitalize on — or the problem they’re trying to solve. This issue is an attempt to understand the state of streaming, if not from every angle, then at least from 16 of them. Whether you’re in search of consumer tips or business reporting, viewing recommendations or opinions on the world that streaming wrought, there’s something below for you. Stream on.
What’s the best streaming service right now? Here’s our ultimate power ranking
Amid a writers’ strike largely about the power of platforms, we take a snapshot of the streaming pecking order, from Netflix to (formerly HBO) Max.
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11 free streaming services that can save film and TV buffs big money
More and more free, ad-supported streamers are joining the fray to keep your costs down and your movie and TV watching high. Here’s what to know.
14 boutique streamers to try if your current subscriptions aren’t to your taste
Boutique streamers like BET+, Crunchyroll and more make it easy for viewers of every taste to have exactly what they want to watch at their fingertips.
Our critic picks 30 TV shows from around the globe to stream right now
Interested in expanding your televisual horizons? TV critic Robert Lloyd recommends these 30 shows from 15 countries — none of them in English.
5 filmmakers whose work you need to catch up on this summer
Film critic Justin Chang looks ahead to some of 2023’s most anticipated movies and offers his guide to immersing yourself in their directors’ past work.
For Subscribers
How consumers and creators soured on streaming
A decade after Netflix disrupted the industry with ‘House of Cards,’ Peak TV is in retreat, and in its place is a new era of discontent.
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Streaming’s most wanted: Why it’s so hard to find these iconic film and TV titles
From disgraced producers to pharmaceutical giants, the reasons you can’t stream titles like ‘Moonlighting’ or ‘Dawn of the Dead’ are often surprising.
Streaming’s boom-and-bust cycle hit animators hard. It’s not the first time
After an explosion fueled by streaming, the rollback has hit animation hard. Creators from Netflix, (HBO) Max and more say it’s a Hollywood tradition.
‘The Last Dance’ started a flood of sports docs. And the ‘danger of oversaturation’ is real
Since the ESPN/Netflix co-production became a cultural phenomenon, the flood of sports docs has intensified — making it ever harder to break through.
Stand-up comics on selling specials to the streamers: ‘You do not need them’
As streamers reduce spending on comedy specials, comics are turning to other platforms to share their content. Four stand-ups recount their experiences.
What makes a streaming hit? Desperate fans ‘game the system’ to save favorite shows
How platforms like Netflix and Prime Video measure success can mean the difference between life and death for a show. But those metrics remain opaque.
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Not your abuela’s telenovelas: How Spanish-language streamers are shaking up TV
For brands like Tplus and Vix, reimagining one of Spanish-language TV’s most venerable formats is just one path to finding a younger, larger audience.
Streaming is in the ascendance. But movie theaters are not going to go quietly
After a period of pandemic experimentation, distributors hope streaming and theatrical can achieve the previously unthinkable: peaceful coexistence.
How the streamers fought their way to awards season dominance
Streamers like Netflix have become perennial Oscar and Emmy heavyweights. Inside the rule changes, technological advances and more that made it possible.
Streaming set off an arms race of $100-million mega-deals. Were they worth it?
Led by Netflix’s pacts with Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, streamers have lured TV titans with eye-popping deals. The results have been mixed at best.
Why Hollywood’s streaming future probably won’t look like TikTok
Netflix tried to launch a TikTok-like feature. Quibi collapsed pursuing a similar dream. Will Hollywood ever bottle the magic of short-form video?
More to Read
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Opinion: Actors and writers celebrated last year’s labor victory. Now the cheering seems premature
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The summer of streaming: Kids and ‘Bridgerton’ help June set a viewership record
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With Hollywood shedding jobs, here is help for coping with the slowdown
Credits
Deputy Editor, Entertainment: Matt Brennan
Senior Deputy Design Director: Faith Stafford
Editors: Ryan Faughnder, Nate Jackson
Writers: Meredith Blake, Greg Braxton, Tracy Brown, Dawn Burkes, Justin Chang, Brian Contreras, Sonaiya Kelley, Wendy Lee, Mary McNamara, Mark Olsen, Michael Ordoña, Josh Rottenberg, Ed Stockly
Lead art direction: An Amlotte
Lead illustration and animation: Jiaqi Wang
Illustration: Patrick Hruby, Ross May
Photo Editors: Jerome Adamstein, Calvin Alagot, Taylor Arthur
Copy editors: Alison Dingeldein, Gillian Glover, Lisa Horowitz, Marina Levario, Daryl Miller, Doug Norwood, Jason Sanchez, Laura Schinagle
Audience engagement: Nicholas Ducassi, Vanessa Franko, David Viramontes
Digital production: Jevon Phillips
