When it comes to the latest and greatest on streaming, we’re pretty passionate here at Pocket-lint. From thebest moviestoTV shows we can’t stop obsessing over, there is a lot of entertainment to love in the streaming era. However, it can be tough to stay up to date with your favorite media, especially withrising pricesand a constantly-shifting constellation of apps and services to keep track of.
Enter"The Streaming Scene."
So without further ado, let’s talk streaming!
I’m worried about Netflix’s NFL plans
Netflix wants to bid on NFL games, and I’m already exhausted.
Could the price of streaming finally be coming down?
DirecTV’s new skinny bundles could signal a larger shift in the industry
2024 was definitely the year of theprice hike, with almost every single service fromNetflixtoYouTube TVincreasing the cost of their services. It’s no wonder that consumers have beencanceling their services en massein the face of these changes. However, it looks like at least one company has taken note of this consumer behavior, and it might not be who you expect: DirecTV.
In a move seemingly poised to challengeYouTube TVdirectly, the TV provider has announced several targeted skinny streaming bundles that offer access to a curated list of live, streaming channels as well as access to streaming services all specific to either entertainment, news, or sports. And the price for each of these skinny bundles? Less than $50 a month.
DirecTV goes after YouTube TV with new, cheaper streaming bundles
DirecTV has launched new TV streaming bundles aimed at cord-cutters.
Apple TV+ continues to surge thanks to Severance
Apple finally has must-see TV
Though Apple TV+ has had some buzzy hits in the past like The Morning Show, Ted Lasso, and For All Mankind, absolutely nothing has hit like Severance season 2. And for good reason. Though the initial season was something of a sleeper hit when it first premiered in 2022, the show steadily built momentum, with Apple wisely making episodes available for free on several occasions throughlimited-time promotionsand syndication on thefree-to-watch Roku Channel.
With all this build up, the second season of Severance made a splashy debut on Apple TV+ even beating out Netflix for weekly viewership, and the show has maintained its momentum ever since. With an intriguing plot that deftly weaves together themes of consciousness, grief, work, religion and corporate overreach, Severance is that rare sci-fi show that seemingly has it all. Season 2, for many (myself included), has felt a lot like Lost in its heyday, full of mysteries, hints and clues that point to a much bigger picture with catastrophic implications.
This week’s episode, where we finally learn what happened between Mark and Gemma before her “death” and see her move through half a dozen consciousnesses on the hidden testing floor in present day was both compelling in its narrative but horrifying in its implications. If you aren’t watching Severance right now, pick up an Apple TV+ subscription and treat yourself to one of the best shows of the decade.
Apple TV+’s small library is actually its biggest asset
Apple TV+’s limited, highly curated library of original programming is why it’s the best streamer.
Disney+ gearing up for a blockbuster spring
Daredevil, Andor and Moana 2 should bring subscribers back to the service
Though Severance is undoubtedly the show of the moment, get ready to swap your Apple TV+ subscription for Disney+ next month, as some major blockbusters are set to hit the streamer this spring.
Daredevil: Born Again
After Charlie Cox’s cameo appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home and supporting role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Daredevil: Born Again gives Matt Murdock his first show set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Daredevil: Born Again continues the story that started in Netflix’s three-season Daredevil series and sees Wilson Fisk ascend to mayor of New York City.
First up is Daredevil: Born Again, the follow-up to the Netflix series Daredevil, which ended in 2018. This series picks up several years from where the former series left off, with Matt Murdock and Kingpin continuing their fight for control of Hell’s Kitchen.
The original Netflix series is often lauded as the gold standard for comic book TV adaptations, and with much of the original cast and some of the creative team returning for the revival, hopes are high that the continuing adventures of Matt Murdock will continue to delight fans of this beloved character. The series kicks off next week on March 4, with the first two episodes dropping at 9:00 pm. After that, new episodes will be released weekly on Tuesdays until the season finale on April 22.
Things will keep moving right along following the conclusion of Daredevil as Andor season 2 will debut on the same day as the former’s finale, releasing its first three episodes April 22. The first season was a surprise hit for Disney+ when it released in 2022, and is often credited with revitalizing the Star Wars franchise, which many felt had been stagnating following misfires like The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian season 3, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The second season will follow Andor’s development as an assassin and intelligence officer, as he grows into the revolutionary that fans first saw in the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Unfortunately, this has been confirmed to be the last season of the show, but here’s hoping it goes out with a bang. After its initial release of three episodes on April 22, Andor will release weekly batches of three episodes for four weeks until the final installment lands on May 1.
Over on the film side of things, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the release of Moana 2 on Disney+ on March 12. Initially developed as a Disney+ TV series, Disney re-tooled the show into a movie that ended up making more than $1 billion at the box office and becoming the third highest-grossing movie of 2024. And now it’ll finally be where it was initially meant to be, just, like Moana, it took the long way around.
That’s it for this week’s The Streaming Scene! What are you watching this week? Are there any high-profile releases that should be on our radar? Let us know in the comments below!
