Are Streaming Bundles the new Cable TV?

Illustration by Jordan Wolfanger

In addition to an oversaturation of streaming services on the current market, a new trend has emerged: streaming bundles. The most notable streaming bundle is the  Disney+-Hulu-ESPN+ bundle, which has been offered for years. Recently, new bundles have been announced, as different platforms collaborate to allow viewers access to their catalogs for a discounted price. For example, Netflix, Peacock, Apple TV+ are now partnering despite being direct competitors.

In some ways, streaming bundles are helpful to consumers because it allows for a larger pool of movies and TV to choose from. TV bundles also prevent watchers from only subscribing to a service for a certain period to watch a show (like Stranger Things) and then canceling afterward. Bundles lock people into longer subscription periods at a discounted price. It is often much cheaper to partake in streaming bundles versus paying for each service individually, which is a plus.

However, there is this illusion of choice that comes with streaming bundles and the oversaturation of streaming in general. For me, I have a much harder time choosing what to watch because I am overwhelmed with too many options. I often find myself doom-scrolling on every single streaming service that I own trying to select something to watch. It reminds me of when I was little and I was scrolling through the channels page on my TV cable.

The trajectory of streaming has been astonishing, as it has now become what sought to destroy: cable television. At first, Netflix, which was the pioneer of the streaming industry became a way to enjoy television with no commercials, and no set air times for shows. You no longer had to wait until 9 p.m. on a Thursday to catch up on your favorite shows. Plus, it was ad-free! Now, streaming services have integrated ads into their services, as a few commercials play before each selected program. These new streaming bundles are essentially cable television under a new name, for better or for worse.

The evolution of streaming has been rapid and dramatic, and it will be interesting to see what else companies conjure up to increase viewership. For me, I will most likely continue to doomscroll on these platforms, just to select one of my comfort shows to watch twenty minutes later.