So, you've dumped cable and launched yourself into the world of cord-cutting. But what now? How do you know which services to subscribe to? Is it possible that there are just too many TV streaming services to choose from these days? Keep reading to find out.

The Problem With Having Too Many Streaming Services

You browse through the libraries of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Discovery+, Peacock, Hulu, and so on and see some of your favorite shows on each—so you sign up for all of them. That's quite expensive already. But wait, you still want to be able to watch live TV, so you add a subscription to one of the best streaming services with local channels.

It's probably best to get a subscription to Britbox or Acorn TV, too, since your partner loves classic British comedy. And what about the kids? They'll definitely want to subscribe to Disney+.

Suddenly, you're back where you started. You're paying the same amount of money each month as you were for cable, and all you've achieved is having a dozen apps on your devices and TV and having to remember what show was on which platform.

You're not alone. This paradox is a growing problem for cord-cutters. Let's take a closer look at the issue.

Why Streaming Content Differs From Music Streaming

Do you subscribe to Spotify, YouTube Music, Tidal, Apple Music, or one of the other cool apps that help you find new music? Or maybe you want a free online music streaming service instead?

Your decision almost certainly wasn't based on the availability of music. The same selection of songs is available across all apps, with a few notable exceptions. Instead, price, user experience, and integration with your other hardware probably drove your decision-making process.

smart TV with many apps

TV shows and movies, however, are a different ball game. Unlike Spotify, which largely just has to deal with record labels, services like Netflix are navigating a minefield of movie studios, TV networks, and distributors, which is becoming more and more difficult to do. Not to mention the complex licensing issues, which differ from country to country.

The end result of all this complexity is fragmentation.

The Ship Has Sailed on Unified Streaming

We've gone on a complete rollercoaster in the past few years. First, we didn't like the old cable model, so we cut the cord and subscribed to Netflix and, maybe, one live TV service.

Then, big production companies realized there was something to the Netflix business model, so they wanted to make some money, too, wanting to do this directly rather than by licensing off the content to Netflix and Hulu.

Before long, we had a ton of streaming services, each with its own collection of shows, movies, and originals. By adding up all the subscriptions we're paying, it's more expensive than cable plans are.

Our dream of having one place to watch all this content has flown out the window, as we need multiple subscriptions to watch what we want. Naturally, people aren't happy about this.

A study by Interpret indicates that more than 20% of US consumers believe they subscribe to too many streaming services, which is understandable considering that the average is four or five subscriptions.

A different report by Accenture indicated that three in five subscribers to multiple services were annoyed with the experience as they spent forever searching for something to watch.

At the same time, seeing Netflix as the "saviour" for those who hate cable is no longer accurate. As more streaming services launched, Netflix was left without lots of great shows and movies and resorted to creating content instead. As anyone who has watched these titles will know, there are very few hits and a lot of misses.

As a result, for the first time in its history, Netflix started losing subscribers in 2022, something that is quite concerning for the company.

Under these circumstances, it's no surprise that people are annoyed with the situation.

The Fragmented Market

Nowadays, Netflix is not the only player on the market anymore, although it remains one of the heavyweights. The list includes Hulu, Disney+, Peacock, HBO Max, Discovery+, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Shudder, AMC+, and so on. There are also many live TV streaming services, such as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, fuboTV, Philo, DirecTV Stream, Sling TV, and others.

While Netflix was ruling the land just a few years ago, things are much more different as production companies are sending their content primarily to their own streaming services. This is understandable from a business standpoint, but it's frustrating for regular folks who have to pay multiple subscription plans just to access the content they love, content that used to be available on Netflix.

Netflix's status as the dominant streaming service is under threat, and with it, the concept of a unified streaming app is already dead. The company has some major competitors, not just in the United States but on a global level.

Amazon Prime Video

Prime Video has followed a broadly similar trajectory to Netflix. Amazon started off licensing old shows from other networks but has progressively spent more money on producing its own content.

Like Netflix, Amazon isn't short of cash. It has plenty of spare capital to pump into production—money that traditional networks can only dream of spending.

Disney+

Disney Plus on TV

Disney+ is arguably the biggest competitor for Netflix. The streaming service features Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and National Geographic content. Not to talk about the countless original shows and movies.

In the past few years, we've watched massive Disney movies land on the service, like Mulan, Raya, and the Last Dragon, or Jungle Cruise. We've also seen an endless list of Marvel Studio shows, like Loki and She-Hulk, or Star Wars universe shows, such as The Mandalorian or Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Marvel shows that were previously developed by Netflix, such as Jessica Jones, The Defenders, or Luke Cage, were pulled from the platform and sent straight to Disney+.

HBO Max

HBO Max continues to rule a good chunk of the market, maintaining the image of a premium service, as it has for decades. Its shows are widely acclaimed, and the movies that land here from theaters are often excellent.

Unlike other streaming platforms, HBO values quality over quantity, so while it may not push new content rapidly, the shows and movies it releases are something you'll want to watch.

The Truths of Producing Content

Is this the start of the snowball? Our only luck at this point in time is that so many of these networks are interconnected and thus only use one streaming service. Otherwise, we may end up with one streaming service per production studio.

Disney+, for instance, takes on content from Walt Disney Pictures, 20th Century Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and National Geographic. Peacock streams content from Universal Pictures, and HBO Max gets its content from HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and others.

Each streaming service also invests a lot of money into producing its own content. Netflix, for instance, spent $17 billion in 2021. Ampere Analysis reports that in 2022 some $230 billion will be pushed into content production, with a good chunk coming from the streaming platforms.

prime video channels overview

At this stage, we don't know how things will look like moving forward, but we do know that the best shows are landing on streaming services nowadays.

In 2022, most of the nominated shows for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys came from streaming services. Ted Lasso brought the Outstanding Comedy Series award home for Apple TV+, and The White Lotus from HBO got the award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. At the same time, Amanda Seyfried was the best lead actress on Hulu's The Dropout.

The list goes on, and paints a picture of streaming platforms getting their hands on the best scripts, actors, actresses, and teams. In the years to come, we're likely to see even fewer titles coming from TV networks winning Emmy awards.

A La Carte Is the Future

One of people's biggest gripes with cable TV is the lack of "a la carte" subscriptions. Typically, cable companies offer four or five packages, and you can be sure that the content you're most interested in (generally sports and movies) is the most expensive package.

Ironically, it seems like those complainers might finally get their wish. The future of video entertainment isn't cable or all-in-one streaming services. It's an a la carte online subscription.

If you like the original shows on Netflix and ABC and want to watch live sports on Fox, those are services you'll have to sign up for.

If you want a "full" package that closely represents the choice you had with cable, it will be possible, but it will cost you. Most worrisome for cord-cutters, the price probably won't be that different from current cable costs, assuming prices won't increase yearly.

How Many TV Streaming Services Is Too Many?

Frankly, it depends on who you want to listen to.

Based on the facts, it seems consumers would argue one, or perhaps two, is fine. After all, while Netflix reaches 70% of homes, its next nearest challenger— Disney+— hits about 50%.

Watching Netflix

After all, given that the number of hours we spend watching TV has been steadily decreasing over recent years, do we even need multiple services? Outside of a few fanatics, how many people are so desperate to watch a certain show that they'd sign up for a $10-per-month plan to watch that and nothing else?

On the other hand, if you listen to networks and rightsholders, they'd probably say choice is king: the more services, the better.

Consumers can sign up for the ones they want, and the realities of a capitalist marketplace will take care of the rest. And that's certainly something we're seeing today, with people signing up for more and more services, dumping the ones they don't like after a few months.

Ultimately, both sides make good arguments.

Where Do You Stand?

What do you think the future holds for Netflix? Will it continue to be the streaming service of choice even as the market fragments, or will the lack of classic shows combined with more a la carte options bring the struggling networks back into the picture?

Most importantly, how many streaming services do you think are too many? Are we already reaching a tipping point? Or is there room for more niche streaming services to complement the big players? How many streaming services would you sign up for at any one time?