Culture Crash: Why Are Streaming Platforms Always Changing?

It wasn’t too long ago that streaming apps were the cutting edge of a new technological revolution in TV and movie watching. When Netflix first hit the scene, it was a great place to binge-watch TV favorites and get exposed to classic movies. Then Hulu hit the scene, boasting about its TV library. But then came Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max and Peacock and Paramount+ and Disney+. Then HBO Max was combined with Discovery+, and now it’s just called Max.

And in all of that, in the onslaught of new streaming apps and the race to add new TV and movies, a lot of the magic of that initial streaming revolution has been lost. Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zazlof has become something of a villain to the internet for the way he has canceled and deleted entertainment from the service. He famously canned a Batgirl movie before it ever premiered, deleting months of hard work and preventing fans from ever getting to see the movie. Across all of the apps, corporate owners have been canceling shows before they ever had enough time to gain traction, and it has definitely been bumming fans out.

Streaming began as an ala cart, make-your-own entertainment library free for all, and now it feels we’re on an inevitable path of consolidation and bundling. Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ are already offered in one big bundle. Max is a Frankenstein’s monster of HBO Max and Discovery+, dilluding what was my favorite streamer in the game in HBO Max.

As a Sony executive has even said, Sony has found a way to become a winner of the streaming era by not creating their own service. Instead, they sell their shows and movies out to the other streamers for good money without having to keep a service up and running.

The streaming era has been exciting and full of promise, but consumers are beginning to wonder if the hayday is behind us. As for what’s ahead, no one knows for sure. But it sure would be nice to be able to affordably watch the TV and movies we love without having to foot the bill for streamers we don’t care about.