Photo courtesy of Piqsels

Netflix has been a popular TV medium among WJ students for years, being considered the original streaming service. But with the rise of competing streaming services, Netflix has lost a lot of beloved content and, consequentially, a lot of fans.

Forget cable; streaming services have become the new normal for TV. With shows like “Euphoria” taking the world by storm, the debate over which TV streaming service is the best has once again ramped up. Here’s what WJ students had to say about which streaming service they prefer.

“Netflix has most of my favorite stuff on it, including comfort shows and movies. The original shows they make have become my favorites as well. [For example], I
love ‘Bridgerton,’” senior Ava Familant said.

Netflix has always been a favorite among many students, but it has recently been stripped of all of its Marvel content due to Disney copyright rules. This included original content based on Marvel comics, such as “Daredevil.” While Netflix has recently struck gold with shows like “Squid Game,” many wonder if Netflix has what it takes to stand up to new competitors like Disney+ and HBO Max, a new favorite among many students.

“HBO Max has my favorite show, ‘Euphoria,’ so I decided to rely on this streaming service to watch most of my shows,” junior Sean Blakeslee said.

HBO Max’s new original shows have made it a popular streaming platform among students.

“I love HBO Max. It has a lot of new releases coming out constantly, and it has a lot of Warner Bros movies, including the ‘Fantastic Beast’ and ‘Batman’ movies,” junior Sam Ranzer said.

HBO Max offers hundreds of Warner Bros blockbusters, which separates them from other streaming services. Movies like ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ and ‘Tenet’ were added to HBO Max immediately after release, giving HBO Max the upper hand against their competitors with instant releases. However, many students have been frustrated with the prices of some streaming services. This is where services like Hulu thrive.

“Right now, my favorite streaming service is Hulu. It has live TV and selected episodes of my favorite shows on demand. I just finished ‘Modern Family,’ and it’s definitely one of my new favorite shows,” junior Liam Connor said.

Hulu has become a popular streaming service because it offers live television channels where viewers can rewatch things or fast-forward. Shows such as “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” are only offered on Hulu. However, Hulu falls behind its competitors by being one of the only services to include advertisements in their service. While you can pay a higher fee to remove them, Hulu functions like a cheaper version of cable with features such as live TV.

Streaming services have become TV’s new medium, and with new shows coming out every week, students should have plenty of options when it comes to finding a new favorite show.