The popularity of Chess, a game that is 1,500 years old, has boomed during the pandemic. Not just because people are stuck at home as the virus spreads across the globe, but because of the huge success of the series “The Queen’s Gambit” on Netflix. Mobile chess downloads have boomed and Chess set sellers cannot keep games on the shelves ahead of the holiday season. The Queen’s Gambit is a fictional television series about a chess prodigy. In late October, the series became the most-watched series of the day on Netflix in the United States. The series has become so popular that thousands of people who watched it immediately made an investment in a chess set.
Livestreaming is Replicating Cable TV
Livestreaming TV services continue to attempt to replicate the cable TV experience. The products continue to get better and the ability to watch both live stream and on-demand makes these products very attractive. In many cases, these products are less expensive than cable or satellite TV. Livestreaming TV is television carried over the internet. Access to the internet via your computer, tablet, or smartphone provides you with the medium that you need to access any of the live-streamed TV programs. Many stations carry the same programming that’s happening on favorite networks, just delivered through different wires.
What is the Difference Between On Demand and Livestream?
While live streaming TV is what is happening on your TV but coming through different mediums, on-demand focuses on series and movies that are generally not watched in real-time. While sports and news are generally content that consumers want to watch in real-time, a series or a movie can be watched whenever you have time to devote to the content. There is some overlapping, but content providers have stuck to either live streaming or on-demand, and have yet to try to consolidate.
The most active players in live streaming TV are YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, Sling TV, and AT&T TV Now. Both Hulu and AT&T Live have ventured into on-demand. The most dominant players in the on-demand space include Netflix, Prime Video (from Amazon), Peacock (NBC), Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV Plus, HBO Max, Show Time, and CBS All Access. Peacock was launched in July of 2020 and also is active in live streaming TV.
Which Services are the Best?
With so many choices it’s hard to choose. The live streaming services are segregated into overall services, such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and sports services, such as fuboTV, and ESPN. Additionally, there are a couple of on-demand providers such as CBS All Access, Prime Video, and Peacock that offer live sports. If you are looking for an all-in-one, YouTube TV has one of the best overall ratings.
The on-demand space is very difficult as most consumers are focused on the original series that are produced by the provides. Providers like Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock, and CBS All Access offer older series and movies and many of the content is overlapping. If you are looking for original content that is recently produced, no one provider will allow you to see all of the original content that is currently released. HBO Max, Showtime, Netflix, Apple TV Plus, and Prime Video all create original movies and series that are very popular.
None of these companies share their original series. If you want to watch Queen’s Gambit you need to purchase Netflix. If you want to see “Raised By Wolves” you will need to purchase HBO Max. The costs will also vary. The least expensive of the on-demand products are Apple TV+ which goes for $4.99 per month. This compares to $14.99 per month for HBO Max, and $8.99-$17.99 for Netflix depending on how many downloads or users you would like on your account. In the live streaming space, YouTube TV will set you back $64.99 per month and Hulu + Live TV will cost you between $54.99 – $60.99 per month.
The Bottom Line
What is clear is that live streaming TV services along with on-demand products have infringed into the cable and satellite TV space, and are here to stay. The flexibility that these products provide, allow consumers to watch via the internet, without being saddled to a product that is at your home or office. While live streaming services are broken down into all-inclusive products and sports products, the on-demand products are harder to separate. Nearly all of the popular on-demand streaming services offer original content that is not shared making it hard to choose the best one. If you are looking for all the original content, you might be stuck shelling out a pretty penny to subscribe to several different on-demand products.
