The Streaming Scene: Could the price of streaming finally be coming down?

Summary

DirecTV offers affordable skinny bundle streaming options under $50/month.
Apple TV+ gains popularity with Severance season 2.
Major blockbusters Daredevil and Andor season 2 are coming to Disney+ this spring.

When it comes to the latest and greatest on streaming, we’re pretty passionate here at Pocket-lint. From the best movies to TV 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 with rising pricesand a constantly-shifting constellation of apps and services to keep track of.

Enter “The Streaming Scene.”

This brand-new weekly column aims to give you a single place to read more about not only the latest and greatest content on streaming, but also keep you up to date on the latest discounts and deals to help you stream for less. This is the first edition, but look forward to this column every Thursday, and as part of our newly launched streaming newsletter on Fridays.

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

directv-on-sharp-tv-the-streaming-scene-deals — Pocket-lint / DirecTV

Pocket-lint / DirecTV

2024 was definitely the year of the price hike, with almost every single service from Netflix to YouTube TV increasing the cost of their services. It’s no wonder that consumers have been canceling their services en masse in 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 challenge YouTube TV directly, 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.

Couple this with increasing discounts on smaller streamers like Peacock and the enduring popularity of the Max, Disney+ and Hulu bundle (which the Wall Street Journal has said has retained 80% of its subscribers since it was introduced last year, a stunning feat in the era of churn), and it looks like these streaming services may finally be ready to reverse course and start offering consumers some real ways to save in the face of rising costs to help keep viewers subscribed for the long haul.

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

Apple

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 through limited-time promotions and syndication on the free-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

Disney+

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

Release Date: March 4, 2025
Showrunner: Chris Ord
Directors: Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Writers: Chris Ord
Franchise(s): Daredevil, Marvel Cinematic Universe

Charlie Cox

Matt Murdock / Daredevil
Vincent D’Onofrio

Wilson Fisk / Kingpin
Deborah Ann Woll

Karen Page
Elden Henson

Foggy Nelson

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.

Andor

Release Date: 2022 – 2024
Showrunner: Tony Gilroy
Writers: Tony Gilroy, Dan Gilroy, Beau Willimon, Stephen Schiff
Franchise(s): Star Wars

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.

Moana 2

Release Date: November 27, 2024
Runtime: 100 Minutes
Director: David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller
Writers: Dana Ledoux Miller, Jared Bush, Jason Hand, Ron Clements, John Musker
Prequel(s): Moana

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!