Streaming service provider

A streaming service provider is a subscription-based service offering online streaming of films and television programs. Most of these services are owned by a major film studio. The streaming services started as an add-on to Blu-ray offerings, which are supplements to the programs watched.[1]

A Sharp Aquos remote control with a Netflix button

Streaming is an alternative to file downloading, a process in which the end-user obtains the entire file for the content before watching or listening to it.

A client end-user can use their media player, computer, mobile phone and smart TV to start playing digital video content before the entire file has been transmitted. Users will need an Internet connection to stream or download video contents. Users lacking compatible hardware or software systems may be unable to stream or download certain content.

Some popular streaming services include Crunchyroll, DC Universe, Disney+, Apple TV+, Funimation, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video, VRV, YouTube Premium and other sites which stream films and television programs.

List of notable streaming services
Parent Service Launch Subscribers Content Areas Served Ref
Netflix, Inc. Netflix
January 16, 2007[lower-alpha 1] 183 million Netflix Originals, Studio Ghibli (except in Canada, the US, and Japan), licensed content from other vendors Worldwide [2]
The Walt Disney Company Disney+
November 12, 2019 60.5 million Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic, 20th Century Studios Australia, Austria, Canada, Channel Islands, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States [3]
Hulu
October 29, 2007 35.5 million ABC Signature, 20th Television, FX Networks, Hulu Originals, other licensed content United States, Japan [3]
Disney+ Hotstar
February 2015 8 million Disney, Star India, HBO, Showtime India [4]
ESPN+
April 12, 2018 3.5 million ESPN Programming, UFC United States
Amazon Prime Video
September 7, 2006 75 million Amazon Studios, Discovery, ITV Worldwide [5]
Apple Apple TV+
November 1, 2019 47.6 million Apple TV+ Originals 100 countries
ViacomCBS CBS All Access
October 28, 2014 10 million CBS, Paramount United States, Canada [6]
10 All Access
December 2018 CBS, Paramount, Network 10 Australia
Google YouTube Premium
October 31, 2015 20 million YouTube Originals 95 countries [7][8]
iflix Ltd Iflix
2015 15 million Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Disney, Warner Bros, Paramount, NBC Universal, Fox, CBS, BBC, Sony Pictures, Discovery Southeast Asia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh
ABS-CBN Corporation iWant
January 2010 13 million ABS-CBN, ANC, Star Cinema, DZMM, MOR, Myx, Cinema One, Lifestyle Philippines [9]
TFC.tv September 24, 1994 Worldwide
WarnerMedia HBO Now
October 15, 2014 8 million HBO original series, HBO original films and HBO documentaries, acquired films from 20th Century Studios, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures United States [10]
HBO Go
February 18, 2010
Discontinued on July 31, 2020 in the US[11]		 United States[lower-alpha 2] [12]
HBO Max
May 27, 2020 4.1 million All HBO Go/Now content, Max Originals, library content from various WarnerMedia divisions and Studio Ghibli United States [13]
Bell Media Crave
December 11, 2014 2.6 million[lower-alpha 3] Original programming from CTV networks, HBO/HBO Max, Showtime, Starz, Comedy Central; first-run films from 20th Century Studios, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and others Canada [14]
Nine Entertainment Stan April 1, 2015 1 million Sony Pictures, ABC, SBS, Viacom, MGM, BBC Worldwide, Showtime, CBS, Village Roadshow, and Warner Bros. Australia
ITV plc, BBC Studios BritBox
March 7, 2017 0.65 million (excluding UK Subscribers) BBC, ITV
UK Only: Channel 4, Channel 5, Comedy Central UK
U.S. and Canada only: Endemol Shine		 United Kingdom, United States, Canada
MultiChoice Group Showmax
August 19, 2015 0.59 million Hollywood, British, Kenyan and South African content Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America [15]
Televisa Blim TV
February 22, 2016 Las Estrellas, Canal 5, Tlnovelas, Telemundo Internacional and Antena 3 Hispanic Latin America
PCCW Media Group Viu
October 2015 Asia
Times Internet MX Player
February 20, 2019[lower-alpha 4] MX Player Original Content India [16]
NBCUniversal Peacock
July 15, 2020[lower-alpha 5] 10 million NBC, Universal, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination, Telemundo United States [17]
Planet Garavot
July 1, 2002 Corporate Platform Italy
RTL Nederland Videoland
2010 0.75 million (Q3 2019) [18] RTL NL and Videoland original content, licensed content from other vendors Netherlands

Notes
  1. As a streaming video provider
  2. Similar services available under the same name in some other countries; programming rights may vary.
  3. Figure includes both OTT subscribers and subscribers of a co-branded pay TV service which receive access to the streaming platform via TV Everywhere.
  4. As an OTT. The service was launched as a video player on July 18, 2011
  5. Public release. The service launched early on April 15, 2020 for Xfinity Flex and X1 customers
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See also

References
  1. "The Best Video Streaming Services for 2020". PC Magazine. January 31, 2020.
  2. "Netflix adds 8.8M subscribers despite growing competition". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
  3. "Disney+ already has 28.6M subscribers". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
  4. "Hotstar, Disney's Indian streaming service, sets new global record for live viewership". TechCrunch. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  5. "The world's most popular video streaming services". What's New in Publishing. February 2020.
  6. "CBS All Access, Showtime OTT Reach 10 Million Collective Subscribers". Variety. 12 Jan 2020.
  7. "YouTube Music/Premium has 20 million paid subscribers, 2M for YouTube TV". 9TO5Google. 3 February 2020.
  8. "Best Streaming Platforms: Comparing YouTube, YouTube Red, and YouTube Premium". Artist Push. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  9. "ABS-CBN's iWant signs on to ASEAN streaming code". ABS-CBN News. 29 August 2019.
  10. Gillette, Felix. "AT&T Is Dragging HBO's Streaming Strategy Out of the Dark Ages". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  11. "HBO Go to shut down, HBO Now will rebrand after HBO Max launch". Digital Trends. June 12, 2020.
  12. "Can I stream HBO GO outside of the United States?". HBO GO. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
  13. "Everything coming to HBO Max, WarnerMedia's streaming service". Digital Trends. 17 Jan 2020.
  14. "BCE Q4 2019 presentation" (PDF). Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  15. "Showmax subscribers vs Netflix in South Africa". Business Tech. 6 Feb 2019.
  16. "Times Internet acquires MX Player - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  17. "NBC's Peacock streaming service will launch on July 15th with three different price tiers". The Vege. 16 Jan 2020.
  18. "Netflix and videoland subscribers in the Netherlands". Retrieved July 27, 2020.
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