Which streaming services offer the best bang for your buck?
It can be overwhelming, with giant legacy entertainment companies swallowing up smaller services and shuffling content. But, within all the shuffling, audiences are looking for the best bang for their buck, quality content at a price they can justify.
Ad-supported streaming allows audiences to enjoy premium streaming services such as Disney+, Netflix, Paramount+, and Peacock at a reduced cost while experiencing fewer advertisements than traditional broadcast and cable TV channels.
So, to determine which streaming services offer the best value for audiences, we’ve dug deep into our data, and the results are fascinating.
Monthly subscription costs for ad-supported plans
First, let’s dive into the monthly subscription costs for ad-support plans for the seven major streaming platforms.
Known for its original prestige programming, Max has the highest price point at $9.99/month.
Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix take the middle spots offering plans at $6.99 and $7.99. Newest to streaming and with smaller catalogs, Discovery+ and Peacock Premium take the bottom spots.
How many movies are available on U.S. ad-supported streaming services?
When it comes to movies available on ad-supported streaming services, we’ve broken each service down by the number of total movies available and further determined the number of quality movies (titles rated 6.5+ on IMDB with 300+ votes) and high-quality movies (titles rated 7.5+ on IMDB with 300+ votes).
Netflix has the largest amount of total movies and quality movies. However, Max still has the largest quantity of high-quality movies. Therefore, Max may offer the most value if a viewer is more interested in quality than quantity.
If it’s high-quality movies you’re looking for, Hulu and Discovery+ are not suitable monthly investments. While Disney+ has the third smallest catalog and comes in 4th place for high-quality movies, the platform offers unsurpassed value if you have children who are likely repeat content watchers.
How many movies do you get per dollar?
When we break down how many movies are available per dollar, Peacock and Netflix offer the most movies per dollar. Max provides the second most high-quality movies, but Netflix, Peacock, and Paramount+ offer more overall, and given their much larger catalogs, they simply have more quality movies to offer.
How many TV shows are available on U.S. ad-supported streaming services?
When it comes to tv shows, Netflix’s catalog is king. The streamer’s ad-supported subscription has a catalog totaling 4,121 television titles, with the next-closest competitor being Discovery+ nearest. Netflix has the most tv shows available, with Hulu and Max coming in second and third place. Regarding tv, Netflix seems the better option.
How many TV shows do you get per dollar?
Again, due to its vast catalog, Netflix is the clear winner regarding price per show and its ad-supported tire with 3,786 movies and over 2,000 of these titles considered quality or high quality-rated.
What does this mean for the average streaming user? First, it allows users to choose which ad-supported streaming plans to subscribe to. If they prefer a vast content selection, Netflix is the top choice. Discovery+ and Peacock are the top contenders for balancing content and price.
