I know this might be a first world problem, but which streaming service is actually worth your hard-earned money these days? The field is becoming more and more saturated, but the competition between two streaming giants, Netflix and Apple TV+, has really heated up as of late. Netflix has held the edge for years, but is Apple TV+ gaining ground? It appears they are.
Apple TV+ has already jumped into the sports arena by covering select MLB games, and they have plans to air NFL games as well. However, Business Insider reported that a former Apple staffer fears there will be burnout amongst the streaming service’s personnel. “There’s going to be a breaking point. People are stretched thin and working too hard.” (I know of other companies in this same position, but that’s for another article…)
Despite the threat of nearing burnout for Apple TV+ employees , the streaming service grew from a 6% to a 10% market share from Q4 2020 to Q4 2021. Netflix, on the other hand, fell from 36% to 28% in the same period.
Additionally, according to Netflix’s first quarterly report, their subscription numbers plunged by about 200,000 during the first part of 2022. They had expected to add 2.5 million subscribers, so what happened? My first thought was the controversy surrounding the “Cuties” documentary, which grossly sexualized children and ensured that many would never make another payment to Netflix. This scandal happened back in 2020 though, so the recent slide in subscriptions must be related to other reasons. Netflix blames it on account sharing and the fact that the Covid “boom” is over. But you also have to account for the impact of Disney+ – though many have dropped this streaming service in response to Disney’s recent display of opposition toward family values, a disturbingly pro-grooming process on Disney’s part. And of course, CNN+ is a tough, new entry into the market. (Just kidding! They lasted 21 days, which is honestly about 14 days longer than I expected.)
But the Netflix slide aside, which streaming service should you go with if those were your only two options? Let’s take a deeper dive.
APPLE TV
They win the price battle at just $4.99/month. (Or $49.99 annually.) This rate is half the cost of what you’d pay for Netflix if you selected their lowest tier.
While Apple TV+ offers a lot of Oprah content (a negative for many) they do offer a ton of original movies and shows with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Now, that strong, original content is pretty much all you get,but it does include the series “Ted Lasso,” which practically the whole world has been raving about.
Here’s a look at eight of the best options Apple TV+ has to offer (Ted and Oprah aside):
- CODA – This movie took the top award at the 2022 Oscars, making Apple TV+ the first streaming service to win an Academy Award. It tells the story of 17-year-old Ruby (played by Emilia Jones), who is the only hearing member of a deaf family.
- See – In this TV series, the world has “fallen into chaos.” It’s a futuristic dystopian fantasy starring my doppelganger, Jason Momoa. (He’s not my doppelganger.)
- Finch – In this movie, the world has “fallen into chaos” and is post apocalyptic. It features Tom Hanks, a dog, and a robot. Enough said.
- Greyhound – Here’s Tom Hanks in a movie again, this time as a Naval commander in the Atlantic during WWII.
- The Shrink Next Door – This is a comedy. Or drama? They call it a comedy/drama. It’s a miniseries with the interesting combo of Paul Rudd as psychiatrist Dr. Isaac “Ike” Herschkopf and Will Ferrell as longtime patient Martin “Marty” Markowitz.
- Invasion – This science fiction TV series about aliens received mixed reviews.
- The Problem with Jon Stewart – Looking for an hour-long comedy TV show that lets Jon rant about current affairs? I bet you’re not, but here it is. (I want a show called “The Problem with The Problem with Jon Stewart.” Can we make that happen?)
- The Morning Show – This is a drama series that looks average at best, starring Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon.
NETFLIX
They lose the price battle, and it is not by a close margin. The lowest price tier for a Netflix subscription is $9.99/month. That’s for one stream and 480p video resolution. How in the world does a streaming service in 2022 offer a tier that doesn’t support HD? The next one is $15.49/month for two streams and 1080p resolution. The “why would anyone pay this” tier costs $19.99/month. This option offers you four streams at the same time and 4K resolution.
Netflix may lose when it comes to price, but they take the trophy in the content battle. They also have better parental controls. (And if you have kids in the house, you’ll 100% want to activate that.)
Here’s a look at eight of the best things Netflix has to offer:
- You get comedians like our favorite, Nate Bargatze. There is a plethora of comedy specials including comedians such as Ryan Hamilton, Felipe Esparza, Taylor Tomlinson, and Marie Bamford.
- Dunkirk – This is the highly acclaimed, Christopher Nolan directed film about a dramatic WWII evacuation.
- The Social Network – A movie from 2010 about Facebook doesn’t sound amazing, but it’s done well. The cast is steller with Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake.
- Worth – This movie stars Michael Keaton and Amy Ryan. It’s about the insurance payouts received by the families of 9/11 victims.
- The Mitchells vs. the Machines – We enjoyed this one. It’s a family comedy that takes a few jabs at social media and technology with crazy cool animation and some surprising emotional hits. (It was from the same guys who did The Lego Movie.)
- Rush – Here’s a formula one racing drama starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl, the actor who played Zemo in the Marvel movies.
- The Power of the Dog – This critically acclaimed but odd neo-western movie with Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst took home plenty of awards this year.
- David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet – Count me interested. This is a documentary featuring a man who’s seen and talked about more of the earth than all of us. (And he has the coolest voice on earth.)
So, what does all this mean? Which one is the best choice? I don’t know. I don’t know you. Our family would get more out of the Netflix lineup – despite the price. Of course, we tend to watch a lot of comedians. Good heavens, don’t we all need to laugh a little more?
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.