Ads and increasing prices make streaming services less appealing. Courtesy | Facebook

When my family first subscribed to Netflix, I found it freeing. I was thrilled that I could binge watch a movie or show without commercials stopping me.

Services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu revolutionized watching TV. Streaming services have begun to surpass cable TV in recent years. In November 2023, streaming made up 38% of television viewing, while cable made up 31%, according to NBC News.

But streaming services are losing their flair. The longer they exist, the more they become like cable. Apple TV+ sets the example for what streaming should do.

Today, streaming services bombard you with commercials unless you are willing to pay a premium.

Services like Prime Video make customers pay a $9 per month fee for its video streaming service which includes ads, and charges an additional $3 to remove ads. In the past, Prime Video was ad-free and gave paying users unlimited access. At the time, it was attached to an Amazon Prime subscription that cost about $7 per month.

Paying for a service with ads and a limited selection which requires further subscriptions is counterintuitive to the point of streaming services: providing TV on demand.

Netflix recently upped its cost and unveiled its three-plan system. With the new “Standard with Ads” plan, customers will have access to most of Netflix’s content, but they can only sign in on two devices and must watch with  ads The second plan, “Standard,” costs $15 per month for unlimited access with no ads. The top plan, “Premium,” costs a high $22 per month for no ads and four devices.

Netflix and other streaming services such as Disney+ have been increasing their prices for years now. What once gave customers freedom of entertainment now requires several streaming services to access the same content as cable.

Of the many streaming services, Apple TV+  is keeping costs low. Apple TV+ costs $9.99 per month and offers access to Apple Originals. Apple also allows subscribers to stream its content ad-free, while sharing their account with up to five people. In comparison with Netflix’s $15 or $22 plans, Apple TV+ is closer to what people want from a streaming service.

For streaming services to succeed, they need to follow Apple’s lead by reducing ads and keeping costs low. Otherwise, they will simply become another version of cable.