How to Save Money in the ‘Streaming Wars’ Era | NowThis

Media companies like Disney and Apple have promised their own streaming services by 2020, kicking off what will be known as the 'streaming wars.' So what does that mean for consumers?
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Streaming your favorite shows is about to get a lot more confusing. But on the upside— we're about to see a TON more content.

Media companies like Disney, NBC Universal, Warner Media, and Apple have promised to roll out streaming services of their own by the year 2020. Which means Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are about to be competing with the most powerful media companies in the world.

As media conglomerates and tech companies gear up for what is being coined the ‘streaming wars,’ the question still remains what does this mean for you?

The first is that there will absolutely be casualties of the streaming wars. Like no longer being able to watch The Office on Netflix since it’s owned by NBC.

Or Friends, which is owned by WarnerMedia.

Done are the days of media companies licensing their popular shows like these to other streaming services like Netflix and Amazon.

That’s thanks to companies like Netflix, which set the stage for how viewers like to explore and watch content. It’s successful direct-to-consumer business model has pushed even the biggest names in the entertainment industry to change their approach.

Another likely casualty of the streaming wars? Say goodbye to AD free streaming.

Until now, Netflix has had relatively little competition, allowing it to stream loads of content, at a low price, with no ads.

This could change, considering every media company is scrambling to get in the streaming game, making the market A LOT more crowded.

It may end up resulting in companies including Netflix running ads in some of its lower-tier package options.

Which some platforms already do, like Hulu.

But it remains to be seen how some of these newer streaming platforms will incorporate ads - since it won’t be like cramming a bunch of commercials into a 15 minute break like we usually see for linear television platforms.

So what are all of these new streaming options gonna cost you?

Disney just announced that it’s offering a bundle of it’s three streaming services- Disney, Hulu, and ESPN+- for $12.99 a month.

That could end up being a pretty good deal - especially when you factor in that Hulu by itself already costs anywhere from $6 - $12 per month.

Amazon Prime video alone ranges from $9 to $13 per month; Netflix ranges from $9-$16 per month (depending on the number of screens you stream to); and CBS All Access ranges from $6 to $10 a month. And AT&T Watch is free for AT&T unlimited subscribers but $15 a month for everyone else.

While most services range from about $5-$15 a month, AT&T’s Warner Media is about to jump into the streaming wars with HBO Max, which is reportedly set to cost as much as $17 a month.

HBO Max- and only HBO Max- is where you will find some of the classics like “Friends” and “Fresh Prince of Bel Air.”

You can definitely expect to hear more about companies battling over hit series and sitcoms, like Seinfeld or the Big Bang Theory, in the coming months.

It’s unclear what exactly NBC’s streaming package will offer t but you can definitely plan on watching reruns of The Office there starting in 2021

It’s also yet to be announced how much Apple TV Plus will cost. Still, Apple has already poured an estimated $2 billion into its new streaming programming - which CEO Tim Cook describes as, quote "unlike anything that's been done before."

While there’s no doubt that media and tech companies have been dropping billions in order to win over subscribers; it’s yet to be determined if people are even going to have enough in their wallets to spend on all these subscription services.

So, let the games begin.

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