Top Streaming Platforms of 2025

Top Streaming Platforms of the Year 2025

Streaming Services in 2024: A Landscape of Diversification and Growth

In 2024, the streaming services landscape is experiencing significant expansion and evolving consumer preferences. The live streaming market alone is valued at approximately USD 76.49 billion and is projected to grow rapidly, reaching USD 517.65 billion by 2032 [1].

Booming Live Streaming and Influencer Content

Live streaming platforms, driven by technological innovations such as AI and influencer content, are seeing a surge in popularity [1]. Services like YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu, and others are emerging as alternatives to traditional cable TV [2][4]. These services aim to reduce viewer costs while offering flexible, on-demand content tailored to cord-cutters [2][4].

Growing Free Ad-Supported Streaming (FAST) Platforms

Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) platforms, such as Pluto TV, Tubi, and The Roku Channel, are also growing rapidly. These platforms generated $4.9 billion in revenue in 2024, with strong growth expected to nearly double that by 2029 at a CAGR of 13.8% [3]. The free model appeals to consumers seeking cost-free entertainment with traditional TV-style lean-back viewing but supported by targeted ads, attracting both viewers and advertisers [3].

Subscription Live TV Streaming Remains Popular

Subscription live TV streaming continues to be a preferred cable replacement, with competitive offerings [2][4].

Bundling of Streaming Services

A strategic trend in 2024 is the rise of streaming service bundles to offer consumers a wider variety of content at more affordable prices while combating subscriber churn. Disney’s bundle including Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN is an established example, and new bundles involving Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max are forthcoming. Other bundles, like Comcast offering Netflix, Apple TV+, and Peacock together, aim to enhance competitiveness and market share against dominant players like Netflix [5].

Key Points for 2024

Live streaming is booming, especially platforms with AI and influencer content driving expansion [1].
Free ad-supported streaming (FAST) services are growing rapidly, disrupting subscription-based models [3].
Subscription live TV streaming continues as a preferred cable replacement with competitive offerings [2][4].
Bundling of streaming services is a strategic trend to increase consumer value, reduce churn, and expand market dominance [5].

Notable Developments

Disney+ Basic With Ads costs $7.99 and offers Full HD, HDR10, and 4K Ultra HD streaming, but lacks offline viewing [6].
Netflix is currently the best streaming service for Spanish-language content [7].
Disney's Trio Basic tier offers all three services but with ads [8].
Hulu + Live TV package includes Hulu streaming, Disney+, and ESPN+ with ads, starting at $77 [9].
HBO Max With Ads costs $9.99 and is a good choice for saving a few bucks a month [10].
The Hulu + Live TV package is one of the better options out there for giving you both a little bit of streaming content with Hulu and Disney+ and a whole lot of TV, depending on your area [11].
Crunchyroll is the only legal option for streaming all Japanese anime content [12].
Disney+ With Ads costs $7.99 and offers access to watching on multiple devices at once, plus 4K UHD quality on some titles [13].
Hulu with ads can be a dreadful experience, with near-constant ad breaks and limited commercials dragging out watch time to absurd degrees [14].
CuriosityStream and Nebula offer a bundle for $9.99 a month, providing access to curated video essays and historical and other nonfiction documentary content [15].
Netflix, HBO Max (now Max), Disney+, and more have emphasized new ad-based tiers while upping costs and banning password sharing [16].
Soon, there likely won't be any major streaming service without an ad-based tier [17].
Dropout is an independent streaming service that offers unscripted comedy content for $5.99 a month [18].
The Criterion Channel offers more than 1,000 films, including foreign titles [19].
The Criterion Channel is a streaming service that offers a wide variety of classic films [20].
The Disney Bundle (Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+) starts at $15 with ads [21].
Freevee will get access to more than 100 Originals that until now have been exclusive to Prime Video [22].
Disney offers a bounty of extra services, including 4K Ultra HD streaming, HDR10, Dolby Atmos, and unlimited downloads on up to 10 devices [23].
Anyone with a Netflix subscription can get access to a growing selection of mobile games [24].
Ad-based tiers have become some of the fastest-growing services since they've come on the scene [25].
There are a few sub-$9.99 subscription tiers available, most of which are ad-based or from smaller companies [26].
Netflix's Standard Plan costs $15.49 and offers HD viewing, multiple screens streaming, and may soon include live streaming [27].
Netflix's third-party content is regularly cycled on and off the platform, so users are forced to consider other options once their binging exhausts everything they may want to watch [28].
Paramount-owned Pluto TV has one of the biggest free streaming service subscriber bases [29].
Streaming services have raised prices on subscription tiers in the past year [30].
The best free, ad-supported streaming service is Freevee [31].
Crunchyroll's standard subscription costs $8 a month [32].
Warner Bros. Discovery combined HBO Max and Discovery+ under one roof [33].
Netflix has the most varied content selection with quality shows in practically every category [34].
Amazon Prime forced all its users onto an ad-based subscription unless they coughed up a few more bucks each month [35].
Analysts say it's only a matter of time before Netflix increases subscription costs in 2024 [36].
Freevee has a significant selection of recent and older films and plenty of good ones [37].
The Criterion Channel costs $11 per month [38].
Amazon is starting to change its strategy surrounding its free, ad-based streaming platform Freevee [39].
The Walt Disney Company is working to combine Hulu and Disney [40].
Netflix offers a selection of Spanish-language content, with 500 shows and movies in Spanish [41].
Plex is a free service that allows users to stream their own library of movies and shows [42].
Hulu No Ads costs $17.99 and is nearly double the price of the ad-supported plan, but provides a better viewing experience [43].
Paramount+'s streaming service is the best, and practically the only, way to watch most Star Trek content [44].
Rakuten Viki offers Korean-language content starting at $6 [45].

[1] Statista [2] Streaming Observer [3] Statista [4] CNBC [5] Variety [6] Engadget [7] CNBC [8] The Verge [9] CNBC [10] Engadget [11] The Verge [12] CNBC [13] Engadget [14] The Verge [15] Engadget [16] The Verge [17] The Verge [18] Engadget [19] Engadget [20] Engadget [21] Engadget [22] Engadget [23] Engadget [24] Engadget [25] Engadget [26] Engadget [27] Engadget [28] Engadget [29] Engadget [30] Engadget [31] Engadget [32] Engadget [33] Engadget [34] Engadget [35] Engadget [36] Engadget [37] Engadget [38] Engadget [39] Engadget [40] Engadget [41] Engadget [42] Engadget [43] Engadget [44] Engadget [45] Engadget

Gizmodo could write a review discussing the growth and diversification of streaming services in 2024, focusing on the surge in popularity of live streaming platforms driven by AI and influencer content (as stated in the first sentence of the Booming Live Streaming and Influencer Content section).
In the future, it is projected that free ad-supported streaming (FAST) platforms, such as Pluto TV, Tubi, and The Roku Channel, will continue to grow rapidly, disrupting subscription-based models (as mentioned in the Growing Free Ad-Supported Streaming (FAST) Platforms section).
Some entertainment critics might evaluate the pros and cons of subscription live TV streaming services, such as YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu, and others, compared to traditional finance-laden cable TV packages, noting their focus on cost reduction and flexible, on-demand content for cord-cutters (as per the second sentence in the Booming Live Streaming and Influencer Content section).